THE 

YOUNG  MOTHER'S 
HANDBOOK 


MAR1ANNA  VHEELER 


GIFT   OF 
MICHAEL  REESE 


BOOKS  FOR  THE  HOUSEHOLD 

THE  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK,  by 
MAEIANNA  WHEELER.  16mo  ....  net  $1.00 

PRINCIPLES  OF  CORRECT  DRESS,  by 
FLORENCE  HULL  WINTERBURN.  16mo  .  net  1.00 

GOOD  FORM  FOR  ALL  OCCASIONS,  by 
FLORENCE  HOWE  HALL  .  .  .  .  .  .  net  1.00 

NOVEL  WAYS  OF  ENTERTAINING,  by 
FLORENCE  HULL  WINTERBURN.  .  16mo  net  1.00 

COOK  BOOK  OF  LEFT-OVERS,  by  CLARK 
and  RULON.  16mo net  1.00 

SOCIAL  USAGES  AT  WASHINGTON,  by  FLOR- 
ENCE HOWE  HALL.  16mo net  1.00 

HOW  TO  KEEP  HOUSEHOLD  ACCOUNTS, 
by  CHARLES  WALDO  HASKINS.  16mo  .  net  1.00 

THE  EXPERT  MAID  SERVANT,  by  CHRISTINE 
TERHUNE  HERRICK.  16mo net  1.00 

HYGIENE  FOR  MOTHER  AND  CHILD,  by 
Dr.  FRANCIS  H.  MACCARTHY.  Post  8vo  .  net  1.25 

MANNERS  AND  SOCIAL  USAGES.  Ill'd. 
PostSvo 1.25 

THE  EXPERT  WAITRESS,  by  ANNE  FRANCES 

SPRINQSTEED.  New  Edition.  16mo.  .  net  1.00 

THE  BABY,  HIS  CARE  AND  TRAINING, 
by  MARIANNA  WHEELER.  Revised  edition 
16mo net  1.00 

HOW  TO  BE  BEAUTIFUL,  by  MARIE  MON- 
TAIGNE. Ill'd net  1.00 


HARPER  &  BROTHERS,  NEW  YORK 


THE 

YOUNG  MOTHER'S 
HANDBOOK 

HOME  TREATMENT,  DIET,  AND 

PHYSICAL  TRAINING 

FOR  CHILDREN 

BY 

MARIANNA  ,WHEELER 

AUTHOR  OF 

"THE  BABY:  HIS  CARE  AND  TRAINING" 
EX-SUPERINTENDENT  OF  THE  BABIES' 

HOSPITAL,   NEW  YORK 


HARPER    &    BROTHERS    PUBLISHERS 

NEW    YORK    AND    LONDON 

MCMXI V 


COPYRIGHT.    1914.    BY    HARPER   A    BROTHERS 


PRINTED   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES   OF  AMERICA 
PUBLISHED     MARCH.     1014 

c-o 


CONTENTS 

CHAP.  PAGE 

FOREWORD vii 

Part  I 

SIMPLE  AILMENTS  OF  CHILDREN 

I.  COMMON  SKIN  DISEASES 3 

II.  THE  EYES  AND  EARS 21 

III.  THE  HEAD  AND  THROAT 39 

IV.  HOME  TREATMENT  WITHOUT  MEDICINE    .  51 

V.  COLIC  AND  ATTENDANT  ILLS 62 

VI.  HOME  CURES  FOR  SCURVY 69 

Part  II 

THE  TRAINING  OF  CHILDREN 

VII.  TRAINING  THE  BABY  TO  SLEEP  ....  81 

VIII.  "MANAGING"  THE  CHILD 94 

IX.  HEREDITY  AND  ENVIRONMENT     .    .    .    .  107 

X.  THE  QUESTION  OF  PUNISHMENT      .    .    .  120 

XI.  TEACHING  BABY  TO  WALK 133 

XII.  PHYSICAL  TRAINING  FOR  CITY  CHILDREN  150 


285755 


FOREWORD 

FROM  the  time  a  baby  is  born  until  it 
is  several  years  old  it  offers  to  its 
anxious  mother  various  problems  of  diet, 
health,  and  care.  If  a  doctor  is  constantly 
available  these  problems  need  not  harass 
her.  If  one  is  not,  they  may  become  a 
grave  menace  to  her  peace  of  mind  and  to 
the  child's  welfare.  The  purpose  of  this 
little  book  is  not  to  usurp  the  doctor's 
duties,  but  to  offer  help  when  he  is  not 
available,  and  above  all  to  teach  mothers 
how  to  recognize  and  check  their  children's 
simple  ailments  before  they  become  suffi- 
ciently serious  to  demand  a  physician's 
attention. 

The  suggestions  which  follow  are  the 
result  of  the  writer's  experience  of  fifteen 
years  as  superintendent  of  the  Babies' 
Hospital  of  New  York.  ,,  ^r 


Part  I 
SIMPLE  AILMENTS  OF  CHILDREN 


THE  YOUNG  MOTHER'S 
HANDBOOK 


COMMON    SKIN    DISEASES 

MANY  little  points  connected  with  the 
general  care  of  the  baby  which  are 
frequently  entirely  overlooked  or  only 
casually  noticed  and  passed  over  as  unim- 
portant are  of  much  more  moment  than 
mothers  realize.  While  there  are  un- 
doubtedly many  unimportant  things  that 
it  is  just  as  well  not  to  worry  about,  on  the 
other  hand  there  are  a  great  many  little 
things  which  occur  with  infants  which, 
while  seemingly  unimportant,  often  cause 
considerable  discomfort  to  the  baby  and, 


4          raiJNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

if  neglected,  might  end  more  seriously  than 
anticipated. 

It  is  my  intention  to  take  up  carefully 
all  the  minor  details  and  little  things  to  be 
observed  about  the  scalp,  skin,  mouth, 
eyes,  ears,  etc.  We  will  commence  with 
the  skin. 

The  cuticle,  or  outer  skin,  of  an  infant  is 
especially  delicate  and  sensitive  and  very 
easily  affected  by  different  conditions; 
consequently,  considerable  attention  should 
be  exercised  in  its  care.  Pimples,  rashes, 
etc.,  should  be  carefully  noted  and  treated; 
and  very  often  the  treatment  is  so  simple 
that  cure  or  relief  is  entirely  within  the 
power  of  the  mother  or  nurse. 

The  first  warning  is  this:  do  not  use 
strong  or  cheap  soaps  on  the  skin  of  the 
infant.  If  the  skin  is  very  tender,  if  there 
is  eczema  or  a  tendency  to  it,  if  the  skin 
chafes  or  chaps  easily,  if  during  the  hot 
weather  the  child  suffers  from  prickly  heat, 
if  the  skin  is  dry  or  scaly — it  is  much  better 
to  use  no  soap  at  all,  and  to  depend  upon 
the  bran-bath  to  soften  the  water  enough  to 
cleanse  the  skin.  In  fact,  in  some  cases, 
especially  where  there  is  eczema,  the  tub- 


COMMON  SKIN  DISEASES  5 

bath  should  be  omitted  altogether,  and 
only  those  parts  of  the  body  that  actually 
need  it  should  be  sponged  with  water. 

The  most  common  affections  of  the  skin 
of  children  are  as  follows :  eczema,  prickly 
heat,  furunculosis  (small  boils),  ringworms, 
seborrhcea,  intertrigo,  and  hives,  or,  as  it  is 
sometimes  called,  urticaria. 

Of  these  diseases  eczema  is  probably  the 
most  stubborn  and  trying  to  treat.  The 
stages  of  the  disease  best  known  are  the 
acute,  or  weeping,  stage,  where  the  skin  is 
bright  red,  accompanied  with  heat  and  in- 
tense itching,  and  where  the  skin  is  shiny, 
with  a  clear  watery  serum  oozing  from  it. 
This  kind  of  eczema  is  most  trying,  and 
little  encouragement  as  to  its  speedy  cure 
can  be  given.  At  times  it  will  seem  as 
though  some  headway  is  being  made,  new 
skin  and  apparently  healthy  skin  forms  on 
parts  of  the  body,  but  the  cure  is  only 
temporary.  It  is  almost  sure  to  break  out 
in  another  part  of  the  body,  or  at  some  un- 
guarded moment,  when  the  watchful  care 
has  been  suspended  somewhat,  the  child 
gets  at  the  affected  parts,  scratches,  and 
undoes  the  faithful  work  of  weeks. 


6    YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

In  the  majority  of  cases  where  there  is 
this  severe  or  weeping  form  of  eczema  the 
mother  had  better  prepare  herself  in  the 
beginning  for  a  long  siege;  the  skin  will, 
with  some  short  periods  of  rest,  need  most 
careful  attention,  the  diet  will  also  need  to 
be  restricted.  In  most  cases  it  is  not  until 
the  second  or  third  year  that  any  per- 
manent improvement  can  be  looked  for, 
and  then  suddenly  the  active  principle  of 
the  disease  seems  to  have  exhausted  itself, 
and  the  skin  suddenly  clears  and  gets  well. 
A  return  of  the  disease  with  its  irritation 
and  rawness  may  never  occur. 

The  home  treatment  of  such  cases  is  as 
follows:  the  child  will  scratch  and  tear  at 
the  itching  skin  with  his  fingers  until  he  is 
raw  and  bleeding;  if  his  hands  are  tied  he 
will  rub  against  the  pillows,  chairs,  or  any- 
thing convenient.  This  irritation  of  the 
affected  parts  must  be  avoided  in  every 
possible  manner.  To  prevent  scratching 
with  the  hands  a  very  practical  plan  is  to 
bind  on  a  light  splint  at  the  elbow  so  it 
cannot  bend.  A  man's  stiff  cuff  answers 
the  purpose  very  well.  If  this  is  done  the 
child  cannot  bend  the  arms  at  the  elbow, 


COMMON  SKIN  DISEASES  7 

consequently  he  cannot  reach  his  face  or 
parts  of  his  body  above  the  waist  with  his 
hands,  while  at  the  same  time  he  is  not 
deprived  of  the  use  of  arms  and  hands,  as 
he  can  use  them  in  many  ways  for  his 
own  amusements. 

As  the  face  is  usually  the  chief  part 
affected,  the  child  must  be  watched  care- 
fully and  kept  from  rubbing  it  against 
corners  of  furniture  or  different  objects  he 
comes  in  contact  with,  especially  the  pil- 
lows and  bedclothes  and  sides  of  the  crib 
at  night.  The  best  way  to  prevent  this  is 
to  apply  a  mask  made  of  heavy  unbleached 
muslin.  This  keeps  the  surface  of  the 
skin  well  covered  and  protects  it  when  the 
child  rubs  against  objects ;  and  it  also,  in  a 
measure,  excludes  the  air,  which  is  quite 
important.  It  also  keeps  in  place  a  healing 
or  soothing  dressing. 

Where  there  is  as  much  irritation  as  this 
water  should  rarely  touch  the  affected 
spots;  they  should  be  cleaned  with  olive- 
oil  or  sweet-almond  oil.  Where  a  heavy 
crust  has  formed  these  places  should,  once 
or  twice  a  week,  first  be  softened  by  an 
overnight  application  of  oil  or  vaseline. 

2 


8    YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

The  best  way  to  do  this  is  to  saturate  a 
cloth  with  the  oil  or  vaseline,  put  one  or 
two  thicknesses  over  the  crusts,  and  over 
this  put  some  thin  oiled  silk  or  heavy 
glazed  brown  paper.  This  causes  the  oil  to 
be  absorbed  by  the  crusts  and  not  by  the 
bandages  and  bedding.  In  the  morning 
wash  the  parts  with  a  strong  lather  of  water 
and  pure  soap — a  good  shaving-soap  or 
tincture  of  green  soap.  The  crusts  will  in 
this  way  become  softened  and  are  easily 
removed.  After  this  you  may  again  apply 
the  healing  ointment,  lotion,  or  powder. 

The  portions  of  the  body  not  affected 
by  the  eruption  should  be  bathed  with 
bran-water,  salt  and  water,  or  borax  and 
water;  soap  should  not  be  used  at  all. 

Simple,  but  often  effectual,  home  treat- 
ment for  eczema  in  this  stage  may  be  found 
in  some  of  the  following  formulas.  An 
ointment  may  be  made  as  follows:  oxide- 
of-zinc  powder,  one  teaspoonful;  corn- 
starch,  one  teaspoonful;  clean  vaseline, 
one  tablespoonf  ul.  These  ingredients  should 
be  mixed  well  together  to  form  a  smooth 
paste;  an  old  and  flexible  table-knife  and 
a  plate  will  answer  for  the  implements  to 


COMMON    SKIN   DISEASES  9 

work  with.  Ointment  should  be  spread 
generously  on  soft  linen  and  applied  to  the 
affected  spots.  If  applied  to  the  face  it 
should  be  kept  in  place  by  a  mask;  if  on 
other  parts  of  the  body,  by  bandages. 
Simply  to  rub  the  ointment  on  will  not 
answer;  it  must  be  applied  as  directed 
above. 

Another  good  means  of  relieving  this 
form  of  eczema  is  by  a  lotion  made  up  of 
ichthyol,  one  teaspoonful;  water,  one-half 
pint.  Sop  this  on  with  a  piece  of  absorb- 
ent cotton  or  a  bit  of  soft  cloth,  then  before 
it  dries  dust  on  a  powder  made  of  one 
tablespoonful  of  corn -starch,  one  table- 
spoonful  of  talcum  powder,  and  one-half 
teaspoonful  of  boric  acid.  Again  another 
simple  help  is  to  rub  well  into  these  parts 
stearate-of-zinc  powder.  One  must  be 
sure,  however,  that  this  is  of  a  superior 
quality,  otherwise  it  does  not  do  good 
work  as  a  healing  agent.  Another  oint- 
ment of  ten  used  with  good  effect  is :  vaseline, 
one  tablespoonful;  sulphur,  ten  grains; 
and  yet  another  remedy  often  efficacious  is 
one  heaping  tablespoonful  of  oxide-of-zinc 
powder  thoroughly  mixed  with  three  tea- 


io   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

spoonfuls  of  olive-oil.  This  is  simple  to 
make  and  in  some  cases  works  exceedingly 
well. 

The  diet  of  the  patient  is  something  ol  a 
factor  in  the  home  treatment  of  this 
disease.  While  eczema  attacks  thin  chil- 
dren as  well  as  fat,  it  is  much  more  common 
in  fat  children.  While  suffering  with  this 
trouble  they  should  have  a  modified  diet. 
Fats  should  be  avoided  as  much  as  possible. 
No  cream  or  very  rich  milk  should  be  given, 
and  in  the  case  of  older  children  very 
little  or  no  butter.  Sweets  and  starchy 
foods  must  be  given  only  in  moderation. 
The  system  should  be  kept  clear  by  the  use 
of  mild  cathartics,  such  as  milk  of  mag- 
nesia or  citrate  of  magnesia,  giving  from 
one  to  three  teaspoonfuls  a  day.  It  is 
best  given  in  divided  doses,  a  teaspoonful 
at  a  time,  and  to  children  less  than  a  year 
old  one-half  teaspoonful  at  a  time.  It  is 
often  well,  also,  to  give  castor-oil  in  gen- 
erous doses  twice  a  week,  from  one  to  four 
teaspoonfuls,  according  to  the  age  of  the 
child. 

Children  with  this  diseased  skin  should 
not  be  allowed  to  go  out  in  very  cold  or 


COMMON  SKIN  DISEASES  n 

windy  weather ;  care,  too,  should  be  taken 
that  they  are  not  allowed  to  get  sunburned. 
Often  when  one  thinks  the  disease  under 
control  and  about  healed  exposure  to  the 
cold  air  or  a  sharp  wind  will  undo  the  work 
of  months. 

With  another  form  of  eczema  the  skin 
is  very  dry  and  scaling.  This  condition 
usually  comes  in  patches,  most  commonly 
on  the  face;  also  in  spots  from  the  size  of 
a  half-dollar  to  that  of  the  palm  of  the  hand 
on  the  body.  This  form,  like  the  one  be- 
fore described,  should  be  handled  with  care, 
although  it  is  not  as  annoying  or  hard  to 
cure.  No  soap  should  be  used  on  the  body, 
and  the  bran-bath  is  in  order.  One  may 
be  given  every  day,  but  if  the  water  is 
found  too  irritating,  three  times  a  week  will 
perhaps  be  better.  Salt-baths,  too,  are 
very  beneficial  in  such  cases. 

Among  the  many  things  helpful  for  this 
form  of  eczema  is  a  wash  of  one  part 
glycerine  to  four  parts  rose-water;  also 
the  ichthyol  wash  or  stearate  of  zinc  al- 
ready mentioned. 

Any  irritation  of  the  skin  by  scratching  or 
exposure  to  a  sharp  wind  must  be  avoided. 


12   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

All  children  suffering  from  eczema  should 
have  plenty  of  water  to  drink,  thus  aiding 
the  kidneys  to  act  freely.  In  eczema,  the 
skin  being  naturally  more  or  less  suscep- 
tible to  any  kind  of  irritation,  woolen 
undergarments  should  not  be  worn  next 
to  the  skin.  Silk  makes  the  most  comfort- 
able undergarment  under  these  conditions, 
but  soft  cotton  or  linen  can  be  worn  next 
to  the  skin,  and  a  woolen  shirt  and  ribbed 
band  over  that  for  warmth.  Especial 
care  should  be  taken  of  the  diapers  of 
eczema  cases,  and  a  mild  soap  should  be 
used  for  washing  them;  repeated  and 
careful  rinsing  must  be  done,  with  a  little 
borax  in  the  rinsing  water.  The  child 
must  be  carefully  washed,  and  not  be 
allowed  to  wear  a  wet  or  soiled  napkin 
a  moment  longer  than  necessary;  he 
should  be  thoroughly  dried  and  pow- 
dered before  the  dry  diaper  is  put  on. 

There  is  another  form  of  eczema  which 
occurs  more  frequently  with  fat  children 
than  with  thin  ones,  and  is  caused  by 
opposite  surfaces  of  the  body  rubbing  to- 
gether until  they  become  raw.  It  occurs 
in  the  deep  creases  and  folds  of  flesh,  such 


COMMON  SKIN  DISEASES  13 

as  the  neck,  under  the  arms,  in  the  groin, 
and  often,  when  the  child  is  very  fat,  in 
the  creases  of  the  wrist.  The  skin  on  the 
opposite  sides  of  the  crease  becomes  moist 
through  perspiration,  and  a  constant  ir- 
ritation causes  chafing,  and  finally  the 
flesh  becomes  raw.  To  prevent  the  trouble 
occurring  the  parts  should  be  separated 
several  times  a  day,  dried  if  necessary,  and 
a  good  talcum  or  stearate-of-zinc  powder 
dusted  in.  Plain  corn-starch  is  good  when 
the  other  cannot  be  had.  When,  however, 
the  irritation  reaches  the  point  of  rawness, 
insert  in  the  crease  a  piece  of  soft  linen 
spread  with  the  zinc,  starch,  and  vaseline 
ointment  mentioned.  The  linen  keeps  the 
parts  separated  so  they  cannot  rub  to- 
gether, and  the  ointment  heals  the  sore- 
ness. This  treatment  works  marvels  in  a 
short  time. 

Another  eczema  is  that  which  attacks 
the  scalp  only,  in  the  form  of  a  thick,  oily 
scab  often  called  "milk  crust."  This 
crust  must  be  removed  with  some  care. 
If  roughly  taken  off  with  a  fine  comb,  leav- 
ing a  moist  surface  in  its  place,  it  will  soon 
form  again.  The  crust  should  be  softened 


i4   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

by  covering  the  scalp  thickly  with  sweet- 
oil  or  vaseline  mixed  with  resorcin,  five 
grains  to  one  tablespoonful  of  the  oil,  or 
to  one  ounce  of  vaseline.  Either  of  these 
should  be  applied  thickly  at  night,  and 
the  scalp  covered  with  a  piece  of  soft 
linen  and  some  protective,  such  as  very 
thin  oil-silk  or  rubber  tissue.  In  the 
morning  the  scalp  should  be  carefully 
washed  with  warm  water  and  soap,  and 
any  part  of  the  crust  that  has  loosened 
should  be  gently  removed.  The  skin  be- 
neath the  loose  crust  will  generally  be 
found  to  be  healthy  and  clear,  but  do  not 
force  away  any  more  of  the  crust  than 
can  be  easily  removed.  Repeat  the  treat- 
ment each  night  and  morning  until  the 
scalp  is  free  and  clean.  After  this  about 
three  times  a  week  rub  the  scalp  with  a 
few  drops  of  castor-oil. 

A  skin  trouble  closely  allied  to  eczema 
is  prickly  heat.  This  trouble  occurs  more 
often  during  the  heated  term,  and,  as  with 
eczema,  fat  children  are  far  more  likely 
to  suffer  from  it  than  thin  ones.  It  gen- 
erally appears  in  a  fine  pimply  rash  on 
face,  neck,  and  chest,  but  often  covers 


COMMON  SKIN  DISEASES  15 

the  entire  trunk;  it  closely  resembles  scar- 
let fever,  the  chief  difference  being  that 
the  little  pimples  are  more  raised  and  more 
widely  separated.  With  this  eruption 
there  is  considerable  heat  and  itching, 
which  is  extremely  irritating  and  trying 
for  the  little  one  to  bear.  The  means  of 
soothing  and  relieving  it  are  quite  simple. 
If  neglected  the  child  will  rub  and  scratch 
until  a  real  eczema  is  started,  for  the  dan- 
ger is  that  when  the  child  scratches  the 
flesh  it  may  become  infected  from  the 
finger-nails,  which  causes  small  boils  to 
form.  In  fact,  it  is  not  at  all  uncommon 
after  a  heated  spell,  if  a  child  has  had 
prickly  heat,  to  find  the  body  dotted  with 
small  pustules.  The  remedy  for  this  most 
aggravating  trouble  is  cooling  sponge- 
baths.  The  bath  should  be  of  lukewarm 
water  at  about  ninety-six  degrees,  made 
soothing  by  the  addition  of  either  starch, 
soda  bicarbonate,  or  vinegar.  To  a  basin 
of  water  one  should  use  a  small  bit  of 
starch,  just  enough  to  make  the  water 
look  slightly  gray  and  milky,  of  bicarbo- 
nate of  soda  a  teaspoonful,  or  of  vinegar 
two  teaspoonfuls.  In  giving  the  bath 


16   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

sponge  the  child  freely  all  over  the  body 
with  a  soft  wash -cloth  wrung  out  not 
too  dry;  after  the  bath  wring  the  cloth  as 
dry  as  you  can  and  go  over  the  body 
again.  Do  not  rub  the  body  with  a  dry 
towel;  the  slight  amount  of  moisture 
remaining  on  the  body  acts  as  a  cooling 
agent,  and  when  the  bath  contains  starch 
or  soda  bicarbonate  it  leaves  a  little  de- 
posit when  the  body  dries,  which  has  a 
soothing  effect  on  the  irritated  skin. 

Children  who  are  subject  to  prickly  heat 
should  not  be  burdened  with  heavy  under- 
wear; this  is  the  most  common  cause  of 
the  eruption.  They  should  have  a  bran- 
bath  in  the  morning  without  soap,  and  a 
good  dusting-powder  freely  used;  and  at 
night  a  warm  sponge-bath,  as  described 
above,  before  going  to  sleep,  and  more 
dusting-powder. 

The  system  should  be  kept  clear  by 
some  mild  saline  solution  in  small  doses, 
and  if  the  eruption  is  very  irritating  or 
the  child  is  fretful  and  feverish  and  cross 
a  few  drops  of  sweet  spirits  of  niter  in 
water  may  be  given. 

Hives  is  another  of  the  trying  eruptions 


COMMON  SKIN   DISEASES  17 

of  childhood.  It  appears  on  the  face, 
arms,  and  legs,  and,  in  fact,  all  over  the 
body,  in  the  form  of  raised  pink  patches 
varying  from  the  size  of  a  pea  to  that  of 
a  half-dollar,  and  in  extreme  cases  the 
eruption  is  irregular  in  form  and  as  large 
as  the  palm  of  the  hand.  In  such  cases 
where  the  eruption  persists  and  does  not 
yield  to  home  treatment  a  doctor  should 
be  called.  Indigestion  is  usually  the 
cause  of  this  eruption,  and  with  children 
who  are  having  a  liberal  diet  this  should 
be  modified  at  once.  Milk  should  be  the 
only  diet  for  a  time,  and  sometimes  it 
may  be  necessary  to  partly  peptonize  that. 
Milk  of  magnesia  or  citrate  of  magnesia 
should  be  given  in  doses  of  one  teaspoon- 
ful  every  day.  Cream-of-tartar  water — 
a  level  teaspoonful  of  cream-of-tartar  to 
a  cup  of  water — given  in  doses  of  from  one 
to  two  teaspoonfuls  three  or  four  times  a 
day  is  also  very  good.  For  external  treat- 
ment bathe  the  skin  frequently  with  one  of 
the  following  lotions :  equal  parts  of  witch- 
hazel  and  water;  alcohol  one  part,  water 
two  parts;  or  the  sponge -bath  recom- 
mended for  prickly  heat. 


i8   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

Ringworm,  like  the  disease  before  men- 
tioned, is  not  very  common,  but  when  it 
does  appear  it  needs  immediate  attention 
to  prevent  it  from  spreading.  It  is  more 
frequently  found  in  institutions  and  among 
children  who  attend  public  schools.  It 
comes  on  the  face,  neck,  and  scalp.  It  is 
circular  in  form  and  dry  and  of  a  rusty 
color.  It  generally  commences  in  a  small 
ring,  which  grows  outwardly,  enlarging  to 
the  size  of  a  nickel  and  sometimes  much 
larger.  When  it  comes  on  the  face  or 
neck  paint  the  circle  with  tincture  of  iodine, 
being  careful  to  cover  both  edges  of  the 
circle.  Before  using  the  iodine,  wash  the 
eruption  with  warm  water  and  soap  to 
soften  it;  use  a  soft  piece  of  cloth  for  this 
purpose,  and  burn  it  after  using.  If  the 
ringworm  is  on  the  scalp  the  hair  is  likely 
to  come  out  on  the  infected  spot.  Cut 
the  hair  closely  about  the  place  and  treat 
in  the  same  way  as  on  the  face.  A  brush 
should  never  be  used  on  the  hair  while 
the  disease  is  active,  as  it  may  be  carried 
to  other  children  in  the  family;  use  only 
a  comb,  and  see  that  no  one  else  uses  the 
same  one. 


COMMON  SKIN  DISEASES  19 

Mosquito-bites  are  always  annoying  and 
often  extremely  painful;  in  fact,  even 
dangerous,  as  a  certain  species  infect  one 
with  malaria.  In  districts  where  mos- 
quitoes are  common  children  should  be 
most  carefully  sheltered  from  these  little 
pests;  windows,  doors,  and  verandas 
should  be  screened,  and  when  the  baby 
goes  out  a  netting  should  be  arranged  over 
the  carriage.  The  odor  of  camphor  is 
excellent  to  help  keep  the  pests  away, 
also  equal  parts  of  oil  of  sassafras  and 
alcohol  rubbed  here  and  there  on  the  skin 
will  prevent  them  from  biting,  and  often, 
while  the  odor  is  fresh,  keep  them  away. 
For  the  bite  itself,  especially  when  the 
sting  poisons  and  causes  a  hard,  raised 
spot,  an  application  of  witch-hazel  and 
water  in  equal  parts  is  very  good  as  well 
as  soothing  and  cooling  to  the  itching  and 
burning  spots.  Common  table-salt  slightly 
moist  placed  on  a  fresh  mosquito-bite  will 
soon  stop  the  itching. 

Flies  are  another  common  insect  by  which 
children  are  annoyed.  They  also  are  the 
means  of  carrying  the  germs  of  disease, 
and  during  the  months  when  flies  are  nu- 


20   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

merous  the  mother  should  exercise  as  much 
care  as  possible  in  shutting  them  out  of 
the  room  where  the  baby  is  kept;  also  in 
protecting  him  from  them  while  out-of- 
doors.  If  the  mother  will  put  her  thoughts 
on  this  subject  for  but  a  few  moments 
and  consider  the  decayed,  diseased,  and 
unclean  matter  which  flies  infest,  she  would 
need  no  further  arguments  or  facts  to 
convince  her  that  it  is  dangerous  to  allow 
them  to  alight  on  her  infant,  especially 
on  the  eyes,  nose,  and  mouth.  Older 
children  will  protect  themselves  more  or 
less  against  this  insect. 


II 

THE   EYES  AND  EARS 

MANY  ailments  of  childhood  are  so 
slight  and  so  simple  as  to  be  easily 
treated  by  a  mother  without  the  care  of  a 
physician.  If  there  are  symptoms  which 
are  beyond  the  mother's  understanding  she 
should  consult  a  physician  even  at  the  cost 
of  considerable  inconvenience;  but  if  the 
trouble  yields  readily  to  the  suggested 
remedies  she  is  safe  to  act  as  her  own 
doctor. 

There  is  no  organ  in  the  body  more 
delicate  and  sensitive  than  the  eye,  and 
ignorance  as  to  its  proper  care  and  pro- 
tection during  infancy  often  leads  to  im- 
paired eyesight  when  the  child  is  older. 
The  child's  eyes  should  at  all  times  be 
protected  from  brilliant  light  or  glare.  The 
new-born  infant  through  instinct  will,  in 


22   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

a  measure,  protect  himself,  for  as  he  finds 
bright  light  painful  he  will  naturally  close 
the  eyes  when  the  bright  rays  shine  into 
them.  For  the  first  few  days  or  weeks 
the  infant  should  be  kept  in  a  room  where 
the  light  is  subdued.  The  light  admitted 
to  the  room  may  each  day  be  made  a 
trifle  brighter  than  the  day  before,  until 
the  normal  amount  of  sunlight  can  illumi- 
nate the  room  without  injuring  the  eyes; 
for  the  first  few  months,  however,  one 
should  be  careful  not  to  allow  the  baby  to 
look  directly  toward  the  bright  sunlight 
or  trying  white  lights  of  any  kind.  While 
it  is  healthful  to  let  the  sun  pour  into  the 
nursery  from  morning  to  night  if  possible, 
the  coloring  of  the  room  should  be  such 
as  not  to  reflect  a  glare.  Light  pinks, 
yellow,  blue,  cream,  red,  and  white  are 
all  bad  colors  for  the  walls  of  the  room 
where  the  baby  stays,  unless  all  bright 
lights  are  excluded,  while  almost  all  the 
shades  of  green,  except  the  very  light  tints, 
are  soothing  and  restful  to  the  eye,  so  much 
so  that  sunlight  shining  brightly  on  walls 
so  colored  will  not  be  trying  even  to  the 
eyes  of  quite  a  young  baby.  Children 


THE  EYES  AND  EARS  23 

should  never  be  allowed  to  lie  in  their  car- 
riages gazing  up  to  the  sky  even  on  a  day 
which  is  overcast;  a  parasol  or  canopy 
lined  with  a  deep  shade  of  green  should 
always  be  used  as  a  protector.  When  the 
child  is  older,  and  is  out-of-doors  and  away 
from  the  protection  of  the  shade-trees, 
he  should  always  wear  a  shade-hat.  Hats 
made  of  white  straw  or  white  piqu£,  also 
white  sunbonnets,  are  very  attractive, 
and  the  color  would  make  them  seem  most 
appropriate  for  little  children,  but  there 
is  no  doubt  that  the  white  light  shed 
through  their  broad,  protecting  rims  ma- 
terially weakens  the  eyesight  of  many  lit- 
tle children. 

The  eyelids  of  children  should  be  care- 
fully kept  clean  and  free  from  crusty  for- 
mations. To  do  this  they  must  be  care- 
fully washed  once  a  day — twice  or  three 
times  if  necessary.  There  is  always  more 
or  less  exudation  from  an  infant's  eyes 
during  the  night,  which  by  morning  is  apt 
to  harden  and  form  a  gummy  or  hard 
substance  on  the  lids.  Many  mothers 
and  nurses  (even  particular  ones)  do  not 
entirely  wash  this  away,  for  fear  of  hurt- 


24   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

ing  the  child.     The  act  of  cleaning  the  lids 
does  not  hurt  the  child  nor  harm  it  nearly 
so  much  as  to  allow  even  a  small  amount 
of  discharge  to  accumulate  and  harden  on 
the    lids    among    the    eyelashes.     Every 
prudent  mother  will  keep  at  hand  a  bottle 
of  boric-acid  solution  made  by  adding  a 
heaping  teaspoonful  of  boric-acid  powder 
to  one  pint  of  either  distilled  or  boiled 
water.     This  will  make  a  solution  which 
will  last  an  almost  indefinite  time,  and  will 
be  found  most  useful  as  a  wash  for  eyes, 
ears,   mouth,   little   abrasions,   cuts,    etc. 
When  giving  a  child  his  bath  every  morn- 
ing bathe  the  eyelids  gently  with  warm 
water  or  warm  boric-acid  solution  until 
every  particle  of  secretion  is  removed,  then 
open  the  eye  with  the  thumb  and  fore- 
finger and  drop  from  a  small  bit  of  absorb- 
ent cotton,  clean  linen,  or  a  dropper  one 
or  two  drops  of  the  boric-acid  solution  into 
the  eyes.     If  this  is  done  once  every  day, 
under  all  ordinary  circumstances  the  eyes 
will  be  kept  clean.     If  there  are  crusts 
which  are  very  hard  and  not  easily  re- 
moved, soften  by  rubbing  the  lids  with  a 
little  clean  vaseline.     If,  however,  there 


THE  EYES  AND  EARS  25 

should  be  any  secretion,  such  as  small 
quantities  of  pus  forming  during  the  day, 
wash  the  eye  by  dropping  in  the  solution 
as  often  as  a  particle  is  seen,  even  if  it 
is  every  hour.  This  condition  frequently 
occurs  when  the  child  has  a  cold. 

The  eyes  are  also  often  infected  from 
particles  of  dust  blown  into  them  on 
windy  days.  For  this  reason,  in  cities, 
on  days  when  the  winds  are  high  and 
street  dust  in  minute  particles  is  blowing 
about  in  the  air,  the  child  had  better  take 
his  airing  in  the  house  or  in  the  sun-parlor 
on  the  roof.  Veils  are  not  always  practi- 
cable as  a  protection;  while  they  may  keep 
out  coarse  particles  blown  by  the  wind, 
a  fine  powder-like  dust,  which  is  often  the 
most  harmful,  will  sift  through,  and  stays 
lodged  underneath  the  veil,  where  it  can- 
not get  out  easily. 

The  ears  are  quite  as  important  mem- 
bers to  be  cared  for  as  the  eyes,  and 
when  they  stand  out  from  the  head  they 
are  anything  but  ornamental.  From  earli- 
est infancy  be  careful  to  see  that  the  ears 
are  always  kept  back  in  place.  When  the 
child  is  lying  on  his  side  be  sure  that  the 


26   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

ear  is  lying  flat  against  the  head,  not 
folded  over  toward  the  face.  Be  careful 
that  the  child  lie  on  one  side  as  much  as 
the  other.  If  he  lies  always  on  one  side, 
the  ear  on  the  opposite  side  is  apt  to  stand 
out  a  little  more  than  the  one  on  which  he 
lies.  Nurses  when  putting  children's  caps 
on  are  often  careless  in  not  seeing  that 
the  ears  are  pressed  flat  against  the  head. 
Time  and  again  when  a  baby's  cap  has 
been  removed  have  I  seen  the  little  ears 
red  and  creased  by  being  bound  forward 
by  the  snug  cap;  and  if  baby  has  thick 
hair  or  curls  which  are  gathered  in  a  little 
mass  behind  the  ear,  they  too  will  prevent 
the  ears  from  lying  back  close  to  the  head, 
especially  where  there  is  the  slightest 
tendency  of  the  ears  to  stand  out.  The 
mother  or  nurse  should  be  very  careful  of 
these  little  things,  for  if  neglected  until 
the  child  is  a  few  months  old  it  is  not  easy 
then  to  commence  to  remedy  this  defect. 
It  must  be  looked  after  while  the  child  is 
very  young. 

An  excellent  pattern  for  an  ear-cap  is 
made  by  cutting  out  the  crown  of  a  muslin 
cap  which  is  a  size  too  small  for  the  baby. 


THE  EYES  AND  EARS  27 

Use  the  rim  as  a  pattern;  it  may  be  neces- 
sary to  add  a  little  gore  or  two.  Make  the 
ear-cap  of  light  taffeta  silk,  rather  stout 
Brussels  net,  grass-linen,  or  some  thin  but 
firm  material. 

Earache  is  much  more  common  in  in- 
fants than  is  generally  supposed,  and  often 
the  poor  baby  is  accused  of  being  cross 
or  hungry,  and  has  to  endure  being  walked 
with  or  having  forced  into  its  stomach 
food  which  it  does  not  need  or  want. 
This  perhaps  causes  a  new  pain  in  addi- 
tion to  his  other  troubles.  With  earache 
the  cry  is  sharp,  vigorous,  and  often  con- 
tinuous. The  sufferer  will  usually  put  his 
hands  to  the  ears,  older  children  will  often 
push  the  finger  into  the  ears,  even  very 
young  infants  who  have  not  yet  learned 
the  use  of  their  hands  will  in  some  way 
reach  the  ears  or  sides  of  the  head.  With 
infants  earache  usually  follows  a  coryza, 
bronchitis,  measles,  or  pneumonia;  it  is 
frequently  accompanied  by  a  rise  in  tem- 
perature. Ordinarily  earache  is  relieved 
by  the  use  of  some  hot  application,  and 
small  rubber  ear-bags  come  made  ex- 
pressly for  this  purpose.  These  may  be 


28   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

filled  with  hot  water  and  applied.  It  is 
well  to  make  a  small  flannel  covering  for 
the  bag  to  prevent  any  possible  danger  of 
burning  the  ear  or  surrounding  flesh  which 
comes  in  contact  with  the  rubber.  A 
simple  home  method  is  to  make  a  small 
bag  of  flannel  or  cotton  and  fill  it  with 
salt,  hops,  or  even  sand,  if  nothing  better 
is  at  hand.  Place  the  filled  bag  in  the 
oven  until  it  becomes  well  heated,  then 
lay  it  close  to  the  ear.  This  will  have  as 
good  results  as  the  ear-bag  mentioned. 
If  the  earache  is  at  night,  and  it  is  not 
easy  to  secure  heat  by  the  methods  men- 
tioned, take  a  piece  of  flannel — the  ab- 
dominal band  if  nothing  else  is  handy— 
and  heat  it  by  holding  it  close  to  a  lamp- 
chimney,  or  an  electric  bulb  will  answer 
the  purpose  if  necessary.  Apply  this  hot 
flannel  to  the  aching  ear.  Syringing  the 
ear  several  times  a  day  with  warm  water 
one  hundred  degrees  is  also  very  good  to 
relieve  the  pain.  If  the  applications  of 
heat,  after  repeated  trials,  do  not  help  the 
pain,  the  other  extreme — cold — will  some- 
times have  the  desired  effect.  The  cold  can 
be  obtained  by  filling  the  rubber  ear-bag 


THE  EYES  AND  EARS  29 

mentioned  with  ice-water,  or  a  small  flat 
bottle  filled  with  ice- water  will  answer; 
in  using  either  of  these  the  water  must  be 
changed  frequently  in  order  to  keep  it 
cold.  Instead  of  the  cold  water  a  small 
ice-poultice  can  be  used.  This  is  made  in 
the  following  manner:  Take  a  piece  of  ice 
which  is  about  the  size  of  a  goose  egg, 
place  this  in  a  piece  of  old  cloth  and  crush 
by  pounding  with  a  hammer  or  some  blunt 
instrument  until  the  ice  is  quite  fine;  mix 
this  well  with  a  tablespoonful  of  flaxseed 
(bran  may  be  used,  but  it  is  not  quite  so 
good) ,  and  fold  this  in  a  piece  of  soft  cotton 
cloth,  making  a  poultice  about  three  or 
four  inches  square.  Place  this  over  the 
ear.  The  object  of  the  flaxseed  or  bran  is 
not  for  any  curative  quality,  but  both  are 
more  or  less  absorbent;  then,  too,  mixing 
them  with  the  crushed  ice  makes  it  less 
liable  for  the  skin  to  become  injured  from 
the  cold,  which  just  possibly  might  happen 
if  the  plain  ice  were  used.  If  a  bit  of 
rubber  tissue  or  thin  oiled  silk  is  to  be 
had,  so  much  the  better.  Place  the  ice 
in  this,  then  cover  with  the  cotton  cloth, 
and  the  water  caused  by  the  melt- 


30   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

ing  ice  will  not  wet  the  pillow  or  cloth- 
ing. 

A  frequent  sequence  of  earache  is  an 
abscess.  The  hot  applications  used  will 
often  cause  the  abscess  to  break  and  pus 
will  be  discharged  through  the  ear;  this 
is  always  a  great  relief  from  pain,  and  is 
usually  not  to  be  considered  serious,  but 
the  ear  should  be  syringed  as  long  as  there 
is  any  discharge.  If  the  discharge  is 
slight,  twice  a  day  will  answer;  but  when 
it  is  profuse  it  is  well  to  do  it  more  often — 
three  or  four  times  a  day.  A  soft-rubber 
bulb  syringe  is  best.  Use  either  warm 
boric-acid  water  or  warm  water  plain  to 
syringe  with;  afterward  dry  the  ear  care- 
fully with  a  piece  of  soft  cloth  or  absorbent 
cotton.  The  habit  of  wearing  a  bit  of 
cotton  in  the  ear  is  a  bad  one;  the  ear  is 
a  sensitive  organ,  and  the  cotton  keeps 
the  ear  warm,  so  that  when  it  is  removed 
more  cold  is  apt  to  follow.  An  eczema  or 
chafing  about  the  ear  frequently  follows 
a  discharge  of  this  kind,  partly  due  to  the 
discharge  and  partly  to  not  drying  the 
skin  about  the  ears  carefully  after  syring- 
ing; a  little  stearate  of  zinc  thoroughly 


THE  EYES  AND  EARS  31 

rubbed  into  the  skin  around  the  ear,  and 
especially  behind  it,  will  be  invaluable  as 
a  preventive;  but  when  the  skin  begins 
to  show  signs  of  irritation  some  of  the  zinc 
and  starch  salve,  the  recipe  for  which  was 
given  in  the  first  chapter,  will  prove  use- 
ful. 

Foreign  bodies  in  the  ear  are  in  most 
instances  hard  to  remove,  and  if  the  object 
is  firmly  wedged  in  it  is  better  not  to  at- 
tempt to  remove  it,  but  to  send  for  the 
doctor.  If  the  object  is  small,  gentle 
syringing  with  warm  water  will  probably 
dislodge  it.  When  the  object  can  be  plain- 
ly seen,  but  cannot  be  dislodged  by  syring- 
ing, dip  a  small  stick  like  a  match  in  some 
strong  glue,  just  far  enough  to  get  the 
smallest  drop  on  the  extreme  end,  then 
insert  this  sticky  end  carefully  in  the  ear 
and  hold  it  against  the  object  for  a  while 
until  the  glue  hardens.  When  withdrawn 
it  will  usually  bring  the  object  with  it  if 
not  too  firmly  lodged  within.  Flies  and 
small  insects  will  often  get  deep  into  the 
ear,  causing  much  annoyance  and  con- 
siderable pain;  these  are  best  removed  by 
syringing  with  warm  water.  Dropping  oil 


32   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

in  to  float  them  out  is  a  bad  practice;  ear 
specialists  say  the  oil  causes  certain  changes 
to  take  place  in  the  wax  which  are  injuri- 
ous to  the  drum  of  the  ear,  and  deafness 
may  follow. 

The  nose  is  often  grievously  neglected. 
It  is  a  small  member  which  needs  careful 
consideration.  If  slighted  a  whole  train 
of  evils  in  the  way  of  ear  and  throat  trouble 
follows. 

In  the  first  place,  the  nostrils  should  be 
kept  free.  Ordinarily  the  nose  of  an  in- 
fant needs  attention  but  once  a  day,  and 
that  time  is  the  morning;  this  cleaning 
process  should  be  thoroughly  but  most 
carefully  done,  for  the  mucous  membrane 
is  sensitive  and  must  be  gently  treated. 
The  best  way  to  cleanse  the  nose  of  a  small 
infant  or  child  is  to  wind  a  small  piece 
of  absorbent  cotton  tightly  around  the 
end  of  a  wooden  toothpick  or  match,  then 
gently  clean  the  nostrils.  It  is  some- 
times necessary  to  dip  this  cotton  in  warm 
water  or  olive-oil  to  make  the  cleansing 
more  thorough,  and  it  should  be  thorough 
in  order  that  the  child  may  breathe  freely 
through  the  nostrils.  A  child  should  never 


THE  EYES  AND  EARS  33 

be  allowed  to  breathe  through  the  mouth. 
With  many  children  this  habit  is  formed 
in  infancy,  and  whenever  the  mother  sees 
the  baby  breathing  with  its  mouth  open, 
which  often  occurs  in  small  infants,  es- 
pecially when  the  child  is  asleep,  she  should 
close  the  mouth  immediately  and  hold  it 
shut  for  a  few  moments.  If  the  nose  is 
clogged  so  that  the  breathing  is  difficult, 
clean  it  right  away.  Adenoids,  a  spongy 
growth  in  the  back  of  the  throat  obstruct- 
ing the  nostrils,  enlarged  tonsils,  and  most 
of  the  catarrhal  affections  of  the  throat 
and  nose  are  the  result  of  mouth-breathing. 
Clogged  nostrils  also  interfere  seriously 
with  an  infant's  taking  his  food  properly. 
The  nose  should  be  just  as  carefully  at- 
tended to  each  morning  as  any  other  part 
of  the  toilet.  Syringing  the  nose  is  not  a 
good  thing  to  do  under  ordinary  circum- 
stances; syringing,  if  indiscriminately  prac- 
tised, will  later  cause  ear  troubles  and  deaf- 
ness. 

The  character  of  nasal  discharges  in 
children  should  be  watched.  There  is  a 
thin,  watery  discharge  which  is  the  result 
of  rhinitis,  or  cold  in  the  head.  This  is 


34   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

not  serious,  and  will  go  away  of  itself  in 
a  few  days,  but  the  nostrils  must  be  kept 
clear.  Then  there  is  the  thick  discharge 
of  catarrh  or  chronic  cold  in  the  head; 
this  is  common  in  children  who  are  kept 
in  close  rooms  or  sleep  in  nurseries  which 
are  kept  too  warm  and  not  well  ventilated 
at  night.  These  children  take  cold  easily 
from  the  slightest  change  of  temperature 
in  the  house  or  when  they  go  out,  until 
the  cold  becomes  almost  a  constant  affair. 
Fresh  air  in  plenty  is  the  cure  for  this. 
Another  kind  of  discharge,  and  one  not 
to  be  overlooked,  is  thick  and  yellow,  with 
a  tinge  of  blood.  A  blood- tinged  discharge 
that  is  not  actually  a  nose-bleed  should 
receive  immediate  attention  and  a  doctor 
be  consulted;  this  is  a  marked  symptom 
of  nasal  diphtheria,  and  cannot  afford  to 
be  neglected,  for  the  child's  sake  as  well 
as  for  those  with  whom  the  child  comes  in 
contact. 

With  a  very  small  amount  of  care  the 
healthy  infant's  mouth  can  be  kept  in 
good  condition.  While  the  child  is  very 
young  and  secretes  very  little  saliva,  the 
mouth  should  be  gently  swabbed  with  cot- 


THE  EYES  AND  EARS  35 

ton  or  soft  linen  dipped  in  boiled  water  or 
boric-acid  solution,  after  every  feeding. 
When  the  child  is  a  little  older  and  there 
is  more  saliva  the  mere  act  of  swallowing 
this  will  keep  the  mouth  clean,  but  twice 
a  day,  night  and  morning,  the  mouth 
should  be  washed  with  boric-acid  solution 
or  warm  water.  In  washing  the  mouth 
be  careful  not  to  rub  the  tongue  or  any 
part  of  the  mouth  roughly.  The  best  way 
to  clean  the  mouth  is  to  wrap  the  cotton  or 
linen  around  the  finger,  dip  it  in  the  solu- 
tion you  are  to  use,  and  then  gently  press 
on  the  tongue  and  around  the  sides  of  the 
mouth.  The  child  will  naturally  suck  the 
moist  swab,  and  this  act  is  sufficient  to 
thoroughly  cleanse  the  mouth. 

Thrush,  or  sprue,  is  a  fairly  common 
disease  in  infants.  It  has  various  causes, 
the  most  common  being  slight  indigestion, 
or  particles  of  milk  that  have  not  been 
swallowed,  but  remain  in  the  mouth,  caus- 
ing fermentation.  Sprue  is  easily  cured 
by  washing  the  mouth  with  either  boiled 
water  or  carbonate  of  soda  and  water,  an 
even  teaspoonful  in  a  cup  of  clean  water. 
Keep  this  solution  covered  and  wash  the 


36   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

mouth  at  intervals,  varying  from  every 
fifteen  minutes  to  once  in  two  or  three 
hours,  as  the  severity  of  the  case  demands. 
If  there  are  only  a  few  patches  in  the 
mouth  a  boric-acid  mouth-wash  two  or 
three  times  a  day  will  probably  be  all 
that  is  necessary.  Do  not  use  honey 
and  borax,  which  is  so  commonly  advised; 
there  is  nothing  worse — the  disease  thrives 
and  spreads  rapidly  under  this  treat- 
ment. 

In  older  children  small  ulcers  are  some- 
times found  in  the  mouth,  on  the  tongue, 
roof  of  the  mouth,  and  gums.  Indigestion 
is  the  first  cause.  The  trouble  commences 
with  one  or  two  ulcers  or  canker  sores  in 
the  mouth;  this  hurts  the  child  when  he 
sucks  or  swallows,  and  he  naturally  saves 
himself  as  much  pain  as  possible;  the  con- 
sequence is  a  portion  of  the  food  remains 
in  the  mouth,  saliva  accumulates,  and 
fermentation  takes  place,  making  the 
mouth  still  more  sore.  The  ulcers  increase 
in  size  and  number;  the  gums  grow  red 
and  tender  about  the  teeth  where  the 
particles  of  food  lodge;  the  child  drools 
considerably,  and  the  gums  bleed  easily. 


THE  EYES  AND  EARS  37 

This  is  called  stomatitis.  Foods  rich  in 
fats  and  sugar  should  not  be  given  when 
this  condition  prevails.  The  mouth  should 
be  syringed  twice  a  day  with  a  mouth- wash 
of  warm  boric-acid  solution.  The  best  way 
to  do  this  is  to  have  one  person  hold  the 
child  in  the  lap,  bending  the  head  slightly 
forward.  Use  a  hard-rubber  syringe  hold- 
ing about  one  ounce;  after  filling  the 
syringe  with  the  solution  place  the  nozzle 
in  one  corner  of  the  child's  mouth  and 
gently  force  in  the  mouth-wash;  this  will 
flow  in  one  corner  of  the  mouth  and  come 
out  the  other  side,  cleansing  it  and  remov- 
ing decaying  particles  of  food  and  accu- 
mulated saliva  and  mucus.  Other  good 
mouth -washes  can  be  made  from  water 
and  soda  bicarbonate,  in  the  same  propor- 
tions as  advised,for  sprue;  borax  and  water, 
a  bit  of  borax  the  size  of  a  pea  to  a  cupful  of 
water;  one  teaspoonful  of  milk  of  magnesia 
to  one-half  cup  of  water;  or  any  of  the 
antiseptic  mouth-washes  usually  found  in 
first-class  chemist  shops,  used  in  the  pro- 
portion of  one  of  the  wash  to  three  of 
water.  The  ulcers  themselves  should  be 
touched  with  burnt  alum,  or  burnt  alum 


38   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

and  bismuth  in  equal  parts.  Make  a 
little  swab  of  absorbent  cotton  and  a 
wooden  toothpick,  dip  it  in  the  powder, 
and  press  it  on  the  sore  spot  occasionally. 


Ill 

THE  HEAD  AND  THROAT 

AMONG  the  simple  ailments  of  children 
the  minor  troubles  with  the  mouth, 
throat,  and  scalp  may  often  be  treated  by 
the  mother  without  the  help  of  a  physician, 
but  to  know  when  the  case  is  sufficiently 
serious  to  require  the  doctor's  advice  is 
most  important. 

A  child's  teeth  should  receive  attention 
as  soon  as  they  are  through.  While  the 
child  has  only  liquid  food  the  ordinary 
mouth-washing  will  answer,  but  as  soon 
as  he  begins  to  take  solid  food  of  any  kind 
there  will  be  trouble  if  care  is  not  exer- 
cised. The  softest  of  tooth-brushes  should 
be  used  on  the  teeth,  and  one  that  is  very 
narrow.  Clean  the  little  teeth  carefully 
twice  each  day,  brushing  up  and  down  as 
well  as  across  the  teeth.  When  there  are 
4 


40   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

double  teeth  be  careful  to  have  the  child 
open  his  mouth  far  enough  to  brush  across 
the  crown,  as  there  are  many  little  crevices 
here  in  which  the  food  may  hide.  See  that 
every  particle  of  food  is  dislodged,  especial- 
ly the  foods  that  form  a  pasty  mass  in  the 
mouth,  such  as  crackers,  cereals,  etc.,  for 
it  is  the  tiny  portions  of  this  kind  of  food 
which  lodge  in  and  between  the  teeth, 
causing  decay.  It  is  not  necessary  to  use 
tooth-washes,  powders,  or  pastes  to  clean 
the  teeth  of  children;  water  will  suffice. 
Never  use  extremely  cold  or  hot  water. 
Decay  commences  from  the  outside  of  the 
tooth,  not  inside,  and  good  sound  teeth 
depend  largely  on  the  every-day  care  of 
the  mouth. 

Looking  into  a  child's  throat  is  a  practice 
which  should  not  be  overlooked  or  slighted. 
Commence  when  the  child  is  an  infant, 
and  do  it  once  a  week.  This  will  answer 
while  the  child  is  very  little,  but  as  the 
child  grows  older  this  should  be  done  twice 
a  week,  especially  when  a  contagious  disease 
like  diphtheria  is  prevalent.  Also  be  sure 
never  to  neglect  this  precaution  when  the 
child  appears  ill  with  no  apparent  cause. 


THE  HEAD  AND  THROAT  41 

If  this  examination  of  the  throat  is  made 
regularly,  as  a  part  of  the  daily  or  weekly 
routine,  the  child  becomes  accustomed  to 
it  as  he  does  to  having  the  face  washed, 
and  will  not  mind  in  the  slightest  opening 
his  mouth  and  having  a  spoon  put  in. 
An  early  discovery  of  tonsilitis  or  diph- 
theria is  frequently  the  means  of  saving 
not  only  one  life,  but  more  if  there  are 
other  children  in  the  family.  It  is  also 
very  instructive  to  mother  and  nurse. 
They  become  so  well  acquainted  with  the 
normal  throat  that  the  slightest  inflamma- 
tion or  exudate  is  easily  detected.  Chil- 
dren suffer  from  several  kinds  of  sore 
throat.  There  is  a  red  and  congested 
throat  that  usually  accompanies  an  attack 
of  indigestion.  Then  there  is  the  red 
throat  that  has  a  glistening  appearance 
caused  by  thin  layers  of  mucus  covering 
it .  This  is  usually  a  simple  tonsilitis  caused 
by  a  catarrhal  condition.  There  is  also 
the  inflamed  throat,  sometimes  swollen, 
where  the  tonsils  are  dotted  here  and  there 
with  small  white  spots,  or  follicles;  this 
is  called  follicular  tonsilitis,  and  is  a 
very  uncomfortable  condition,  the  pa- 


42   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

tient  often  suffering  more  than  with 
diphtheria. 

Another  and  more  serious  throat  is 
where  diphtheritic  conditions  prevail.  This 
is  indicated  by  a  red  throat,  considerably 
swollen,  which  bleeds  easily  when  swabbed. 
In  diphtheria  there  is  usually  what  is  called 
a  membrane  which  takes  two  forms — one 
a  faint  grayish  streak  resembling  a  thread 
of  cobweb  across  the  tonsil,  and  does  not 
rub  off  when  swabbed;  or  another  form 
where  there  is  a  yellow  thick-looking  patch 
on  tonsil  or  uvula.  The  tissue  directly 
about  the  spot  is  usually  of  a  purplish 
color,  and  the  throat  bleeds  very  easily 
if  touched.  There  is,  too,  almost  always 
a  bloody  nasal  discharge.  All  of  the  anti- 
septic mouth-washes  mentioned  in  previ- 
ous chapters  are  good  for  the  sore  throats 
mentioned,  and  a  swabbing  of  tincture  of 
iron — one  part  iron  to  two  parts  glycerine 
— is  also  good.  But  in  most  cases  where 
these  symptoms  occur  I  would  advise  con- 
sulting a  doctor  and  letting  him  decide  on 
the  treatment. 

The  hair  and  scalp  require  but  moderate 
attention  to  be  kept  in  good  condition. 


THE  HEAD  AND  THROAT  43 

The  head  should  not  be  washed  too  fre- 
quently with  soap,  as  it  has  a  tendency 
to  keep  the  scalp  dry,  and  also  makes  the 
hair1  dry  and  brittle.  Nature  provides 
through  the  hair  follicles  a  lubricating  oil 
which  keeps  the  hair  soft  and  glossy.  The 
scalp  should  be  kept  clean  by  the  use  of  a 
soft  brush.  It  is  not  well  to  treat  the  scalp 
harshly,  as  it  keeps  the  delicate  skin  in 
a  constant  state  of  irritation;  dandruff 
and  eczema  of  the  scalp  are  sure  to  follow. 
The  hair-brush  should  be  kept  abso- 
lutely clean.  A  young  child  who  has  not 
much  hair  and  whose  head  is  always  care- 
fully covered  with  a  cap  when  out-of-doors, 
cannot  accumulate  much  dust  or  dirt  in 
the  hair,  and  once  a  week  may  be  enough 
to  wash  the  brush.  With  older  children, 
especially  those  who  have  long  hair,  the 
brush  should  be  washed  with  ammonia 
and  cold  water  and  thoroughly  rinsed 
three  or  four  times  a  week  and  then  placed 
in  the  sun  to  dry.  If  the  child's  scalp 
is  very  dry  and  scaly,  the  hair  dry  and 
scanty,  breaking  off  so  easily  that  it  never 
grows  very  long,  it  is  best  not  to  use  soap 
and  water  on  the  scalp  at  all,  or  only  at 


44   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

long  intervals.  Massage  the  scalp  every 
other  day  with  the  finger -tips,  using  a 
little  castor-oil  on  them  as  a  lubricant. 
Castor-oil,  or  castor-oil  and  witch-hazel 
in  equal  parts,  used  on  the  scalp,  and 
in  such  moderate  quantities  as  not  to 
make  the  hair  oily,  is  an  excellent  lubri- 
cant, and  will  strengthen  the  roots  of  the 
hair.  After  the  massage  brush  the  scalp 
and  hair  with  the  soft  brush;  if  the  scalp  is 
dirty  use  occasionally  witch-hazel  and  rose- 
water  in  equal  parts  to  cleanse  it.  Pour 
a  small  quantity  of  this  lotion  in  a  saucer 
and  apply  it  to  the  scalp  with  a  small  bit 
of  absorbent  cotton.  Separate  the  hair  in 
places  and  rub  on  this  lotion.  This  is  for 
cleanliness  and  comfort,  especially  in  hot 
weather,  and  helps  to  keep  the  scalp  in 
good  condition.  It  will  also  make  the 
hair  more  luxuriant  in  later  years.  I  con- 
sider it  wise  to  keep  little  girls  with  short 
hair  until  they  are  eight  or  ten  years  old, 
and  in  hot  weather  to  let  the  child  go 
without  hat  or  cap  except  when  in  the  di- 
rect sunlight. 

As  to  the  child's  weight,  even  though 
the  gain  be  slow,  every  baby  after  the  first 


THE  HEAD  AND  THROAT  45 

week  or  ten  days  should  show  an  increase. 
Many  of  the  causes  of  loss  of  weight  or 
lack  of  increase  are  due  to  the  very  simple 
things.  I  know  of  one  case  where  the 
child  had  gained  steadily  for  the  first  three 
months  of  life,  then  there  was  a  change  of 
nurses,  and,  although  the  food  was  made 
after  the  same  formula,  feeding  intervals 
and  quantity  being  unchanged,  the  baby 
lost  steadily.  The  first  nurse  then  came 
back,  and  there  was  a  marked  improve- 
ment in  the  child.  After  rigid  investiga- 
tion it  was  found  that  nurse  number  two 
was  not  particular  with  the  bottles  and 
nipples,  sometimes  letting  the  bottles 
stand  overnight  without  proper  rinsing, 
and  that  the  solution  in  which  the  nipples 
were  kept  was  not  changed  every  day. 
The  nipples  themselves  were  probably  not 
well  cleaned  after  use.  And  while  the  food 
was  given  at  the  regular  hours,  the  child 
was  allowed  to  play  with  the  bottle,  to 
fall  asleep  while  taking  the  food,  and  the 
bottle  would  stay  with  the  baby  anywhere 
from  one-half  hour  to  an  hour  at  a  time. 
This  one  case  alone  illustrates  what  care- 
less administration  of  food  will  do  tow- 


46   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

ard  allowing  a  baby's  health  to  become 
impaired,  although  the  food  in  itself  was 
all  that  was  to  be  desired. 

If  the  baby  is  bottle-fed  one  cannot  be 
too  careful  about  all  the  little  details  con- 
cerning the  child's  food;  everything  con- 
nected with  the  preparation  of  the  food 
must  be  kept  scrupulously  clean ;  and  there 
is  also  much  dependent  on  the  methods  of 
giving  it.  It  is  best  to  hold  the  child  in 
a  semi-upright  position  while  taking  the 
food.  If,  however,  it  is  at  times  more 
convenient  to  have  the  food  given  while 
the  baby  is  lying  down,  always  have  him 
lying  on  his  left  side,  and,  if  possible,  hold 
the  bottle  for  him;  if  not,  support  it  on 
a  small  pillow  or  cushion,  so  that  food  stays 
at  the  nipple  end  of  the  bottle.  If  the 
bottle  lies  flat  the  baby  is  sure  to  suck  in 
as  much  air  as  food.  It  is  not  safe  to  let 
the  baby  lie  on  his  back  and  take  his  food, 
even  if  some  one  is  standing  over  him  and 
holding  the  bottle.  The  hole  in  the  nipple 
may  be  large  and  the  milk  thus  may  run 
out  too  fast,  or  the  baby  in  his  hunger  and 
eagerness  may  take  it  too  fast.  He  chokes, 
and  a  portion  gets  into  the  air-passages, 


THE  HEAD  AND  THROAT  47 

and  from  there  into  the  lungs,  causing 
what  is  sometimes  called  a  "food  pneu- 
monia." The  fluid  causes  an  irritation; 
the  child  is  not  strong  enough  to  expel 
it  by  coughing. 

Then  again,  it  often  happens  that  a  very- 
young  baby  does  not  take  his  food  well, 
and  after  a  time  the  attempt  to  make  him 
take  it  is  given  up,  the  supposition  being 
that  he  does  not  want  it,  and  that  under 
these  circumstances  it  would  be  better  not 
to  force  it.  Don't  take  anything  for 
granted  with  a  baby,  but  take  every  meas- 
ure to  find  the  cause  why  the  baby  does 
not  get  his  food.  Examine  the  mouth  for 
small  ulcers,  especially  the  one  which 
comes  under  the  tongue  and  often  seri- 
ously interferes  with  the  infant's  feeding; 
look  at  the  nipple  to  see  that  the  hole  is 
all  right.  If  the  hole  is  cut  or  split — in 
fact,  if  the  hole  is  not  perfectly  smooth  and 
round — as  soon  as  suction  is  applied  the 
cut  or  rough  edges  will  close  tightly  to- 
gether, and  it  is  impossible  for  the  milk 
to  get  through.  Turn  the  nipple  wrong 
side  out  and  examine  it.  Often  a  small 
thread  of  the  cotton  with  which  the 


48   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

nursing-bottle  is  plugged  gets  drawn  into 
the  end  of  the  nipple,  or  if  the  food  is  made 
with  a  gruel  a  thick  particle  may  clog  the 
hole.  Again,  some  infants  do  not  seem 
to  know  how  to  draw  from  the  nipple,  but 
will  roll  it  around  the  mouth.  This  will 
often  happen  if  the  baby's  mouth  is  small 
and  the  nipple  is  a  large  one.  In  such 
cases  the  child  must  be  taught  to  suck. 
This  is  easily  accomplished  with  a  little 
patience.  The  method  is  to  press  the 
lower  jaw  upward  with  your  ringer,  re- 
laxing, and  then  pressing  again,  imitating 
the  sucking  action  until  the  child,  feeling 
the  warm  food  in  his  mouth,  swallows, 
and  soon  learns  to  act  for  himself.  All 
these  little  things  will  effect  the  child's 
weight. 

Many  children  will  regurgitate  or  throw 
off  their  food  soon  after  it  has  been  taken ; 
in  this  case  the  child  should  be  carefully 
put  on  the  bed  and  left  there  for  from 
one-half  hour  to  one  hour  after  each  feed- 
ing. This  often  happens  in  children  who 
do  not  nurse  vigorously ;  some  of  the  food 
does  not  reach  the  stomach,  but  remains 
in  the  esophagus,  and  when  the  child  is 


THE  HEAD  AND  THROAT  49 

moved  comes  back.  In  fact,  all  infants, 
vigorous  or  otherwise,  should  be  kept 
quiet  for  a  while  after  each  feeding.  An- 
other cause  of  vomiting  in  infants  (and  if 
the  child  does  not  retain  his  food  he 
naturally  will  not  gain  rapidly)  is  the  habit 
of  putting  the  fingers,  sometimes  the  whole 
hand,  into  the  mouth.  This  habit  is 
formed  usually  when  the  child  is  teething, 
as  biting  on  the  ringers  seems  to  relieve 
the  gums;  the  child,  finding  relief,  crams 
the  little  fingers  as  far  into  the  mouth  as 
they  will  go.  If  this  is  done  soon  after  a 
meal  it  naturally  causes  the  child  to  gag, 
and  so  the  food  will  come  up.  This  is  a 
habit  entirely  apart  from  thumb-sucking, 
and  should  not  be  encouraged,  especially 
after  food  is  taken;  the  hands  should  be 
tied  down  for  a  half -hour  or  so  if  neces- 
sary. 

Pacifiers  or  blind  nipples  also  interfere 
more  or  less  with  a  young  baby's  digestion. 
Many  babies  who  are  given  a  pacifier  in 
early  infancy  are  perfectly  content  to 
suck  one  of  these  things  most  of  the  day, 
caring  little  whether  food  is  given  or  not. 
This  excites  the  secretion  of  saliva  to  an 


50   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

unhealthy  degree,  and  often  causes  colic. 
Very  tight  bands  will  cause  the  baby  to 
throw  off  his  food.  The  band  should  be 
snug  enough  to  keep  in  place  without 
wrinkles,  but  never  tight.  The  bottles  in 
which  the  food  is  kept  for  an  artificially 
fed  infant  should  be  carefully  rinsed  with 
clear  water  as  soon  as  the  child  has  taken 
his  food,  and  then  should  be  left  standing 
filled  with  cold  water  with  a  pinch  of  borax 
put  into  it.  Once  a  day  they  should  be 
washed  carefully  with  boiling  water  and 
soap -powder,  then  thoroughly  rinsed. 
The  nipple  should  be  carefully  washed 
inside  and  out,  first  with  cold  and  then  hot 
water,  and  kept  in  a  covered  glass  filled 
with  borax  and  water,  soda  bicarbonate 
and  water,  or  boric-acid  solution. 


IV 

HOME  TREATMENT  WITHOUT  MEDICINE 

A  CHILD  should  never  be  forced  to  sit 
/*  up  at  too  early  an  age.  Many  chil- 
dren at  two  months  will  sit  up  with  very 
little  assistance,  but  it  is  not  well  to  allow 
it.  In  fact,  many  children  at  six  months 
or  even  older  ought  not  to  be  allowed  to  do 
it  unless  some  support  is  given  to  the  back. 
While  there  are  many  children  who  sit 
firmly  at  this  age,  there  are  as  many  more 
who,  after  they  have  been  in  an  upright 
position  for  a  while,  gradually  bend  over 
toward  the  front,  the  head  hanging  for- 
ward. In  this  position  they  will  perhaps 
stay  for  a  long  time.  This  ought  not  to 
be  allowed.  The  reason  for  this  bending 
forward  is  that  the  muscular  tissues  of  the 
back  are  not  strong  enough  to  support  the 
spine  for  any  length  of  time;  the  child  be- 


52   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

comes  tired  and  leans  forward,  as  it  were,  on 
the  abdomen.  This  position  is  not  good ;  if 
it  be  allowed  day  after  day  the  spine  be- 
comes slightly  curved,  and  often  there  re- 
sults a  very  decided  curvature  which  is 
hard  to  overcome.  While  it  is  not  well 
for  a  child  to  remain  in  a  recumbent  posi- 
tion all  of  the  time,  he  should  be  led  grad- 
ually to  sit  up  with  a  pillow  or  an  arm  for 
support.  When  the  mother  is  a  busy  one, 
and  has  to  be  nurse  as  well  as  attend  to 
numerous  household  duties,  an  ordinary 
clothes-basket  will  be  found  most  helpful 
to  her.  The  sides  can  be  neatly  dressed 
with  a  simple  white  muslin  valance,  and  a 
soft  pad  or  folded  blanket  covered  with  a 
small  sheet  may  be  placed  in  the  bottom 
of  the  basket,  with  a<  soft,  small  pillow 
for  the  back.  In  this  the  child  can  lie 
flat  with  an  afghan  or  small  blanket  for 
covering,  and  take  his  naps,  or  with  the 
pillow  for  support  he  can  lie  in  a  semi- 
upright  position,  and  as  he  grows  older 
will  grasp  the  sides  of  the  basket  and  sit 
upright  until  he  is  tired,  and  then  will  lie 
back  on  his  pillow  again ;  as  he  begins  to  sit 
up  some  one  should  occasionally  take  a 


HOME  TREATMENT  53 

look  at  him  and,  if  he  falls  or  leans  forward, 
gently  put  him  back  on  his  pillow.  This 
arrangement  is  far  better  than  bolstering 
the  baby  up  on  a  large  bed  where  he  rolls 
about,  with  danger  of  eventually  falling 
off  on  the  floor,  or  laying  him  in  the  crib, 
with  the  chances  of  rolling  and  striking 
against  the  hard  sides. 

Children  usually  begin  to  stand  on  their 
feet  about  the  tenth  month,  and  with  as- 
sistance take  a  step  or  two.  By  the 
twelfth  month  they  learn  to  take  a  few 
steps  alone,  and  two  months  later  run 
about.  This,  however,  depends  a  great 
deal  on  the  child's  strength,  which  in  turn 
is  gaged  by  the  nutrition;  children  nour- 
ished by  patent  foods  are  usually  far  be- 
hind the  healthy  breast-fed  infant.  It  is 
the  muscular,  not  the  fat  children,  who 
are  the  most  forward  in  this  respect. 
Do  not  urge  the  child  to  stand  on  his  feet, 
nor  encourage  walking  too  soon;  let  the 
child  follow  his  own  impulse.  The  ma- 
jority of  children  are  ambitious  in  this  re- 
spect, and  just  as  soon  as  they  feel  the 
muscles  and  bones  strong  enough  to  bear 
their  weight  they  will  surely  make  the 


54   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

effort.  If  urged  while  the  bones  are  soft 
bowed  legs  are  the  result.  Children  who 
are  slow  to  walk  are  generally  late  in 
teething,  too.  Ordinarily  the  healthy, 
breast-fed  infant  will  commence  to  cut 
his  teeth  at  six  months,  and  in  some  cases 
a  trifle  earlier;  children  brought  up  on 
patent  foods  are  often  as  late  as  the  twelfth 
or  fourteenth  month.  The  reason  for  this 
difference  is  that  some  of  these  foods  do 
not  nourish  the  bones,  or,  in  other  words, 
do  not  contain  the  bone-making  elements 
to  such  a  degree  as  does  the  mother's 
milk. 

Teething  infants  are  usually  more  or  less 
disturbed  during  the  teething  period,  and 
the  following  suggestions  should  help  the 
child  and  save  the  mother  some  care  and 
anxiety.  If  the  child  is  restless  and  fever- 
ish when  cutting  teeth,  always  reduce  the 
food  a  little.  It  is  better  to  reduce  the 
strength  rather  than  to  cut  down  the 
quantity.  Children  usually  drool  con- 
siderably and  are  thirsty  at  these  periods, 
and  water  should  be  given  freely  between 
meals.  If  the  child  drools  enough  to  keep 
bib  and  dress  wet,  line  the  bib  with  rubber 


HOME  TREATMENT  55 

tissue  or  a  prepared  white  cotton  cloth, 
which  is  water-proof,  and  can  be  procured 
at  most  drug  stores  where  surgical  supplies 
are  kept.  This  is  important  in  order  to 
prevent  colds,  especially  in  winter.  Do 
not  give  the  infant  hard  things  to  bite  on; 
constant  biting  and  chewing  on  a  hard, 
non  -  resisting  substance  will  cause  the 
gums  to  harden  and  toughen,  making  it 
much  harder  for  the  teeth  to  force  their 
way  up  to  the  surface.  A  soft-rubber  ring 
or  anything  of  that  nature  which  has 
about  the  resistance  of  the  ringers  is  much 
better.  When  the  gums  are  swollen  and 
red,  and  the  teeth  showing  beneath  the 
skin,  the  child  worrying  and  fretting,  it 
will  afford  much  relief  to  the  child  if  the 
teeth  are  helped  to  come  through.  Do 
this  by  taking  the  end  of  a  clean  towel  or 
a  bit  of  clean  gauze  and  rubbing  the  gums 
until  they  bleed.  If  at  the  first  rubbing 
the  tooth  does  not  show  itself,  the  bleed- 
ing relieves  the  tension,  and  the  child  will 
be  more  comfortable. 

A  nursery  medicine-chest  is  to  my  mind 
an  unsafe  thing  to  possess.  When  medi- 
cine is  at  hand,  and  so  easy  to  get  at,  there 

5 


56   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

is  a  great  temptation  to  give  it.  The  habit 
of  giving  medicine  or  drugs  without  the 
advice  of  a  physician  is  a  bad  one,  and  in 
many  instances  a  dangerous  one.  Most 
drugs  are  more  or  less  nauseating,  especial- 
ly to  an  infant's  stomach;  they  seriously 
upset  the  digestion,  and  as  the  child  is 
nourished  and  gains  strength  through  the 
ability  of  the  stomach  to  digest  food,  if 
this  organ  is  crippled  and  rendered  unfit 
to  perform  its  function  you  are  likely  to 
lose  the  child.  Why  not  try  simple  rem- 
edies for  the  little  ailments  of  children,  and 
let  drugs  which  might  prove  dangerous 
alone?  For  instance,  if  the  baby  has  a 
cough  and  there  is  a  wheezing  in  his  chest, 
do  not  neglect  it.  Act  at  once ;  not,  how- 
ever, by  giving  medicines  (most  cough 
medicines  contain  nauseating  ingredients), 
but  by  a  simpler  and  more  efficacious  treat- 
ment. If  there  is  a  constant  dry,  hacking 
cough,  it  is  usually  by  inflammation  of  the 
mucous  membrane  of  the  throat,  this  irri- 
tation often  extending  to  the  lungs.  In 
such  cases  nothing  gives  relief  so  quickly 
and  surely  as  inhaling  steam.  This  may 
be  administered  in  several  ways — first, 


HOME  TREATMENT  57 

the  child  can  be  held  at  a  short  distance 
from  the  steaming  spout  of  a  tea-kettle 
for  ten  or  fifteen  minutes,  but  not  near 
enough  to  scald  the  child.  Let  him  breathe 
in  fully  the  warm  steam;  this  is  a  very 
simple  method,  but  most  effectual. 

Another  way  to  use  steam  is  by  means 
of  a  croup-kettle.  Start  the  kettle  boiling, 
and  place  the  child  in  a  crib  covered  with 
a  sheet,  and  let  the  spout  of  the  kettle 
come  through  near  the  foot  of  the  bed; 
the  sheet  forms  roof  and  sides  of  a  little 
steam-chamber,  and  the  child  can  lie  in 
this  from  fifteen  minutes  to  half  an  hour, 
longer  if  necessary.  Another  method  is 
to  partly  fill  a  tall  pitcher  with  boiling 
water,  and  holding  the  child  with  mouth 
and  nose  over  the  opening,  let  it  inhale 
the  steam,  covering  the  head  with  a  towel 
so  no  steam  can  escape.  If  there  is  a 
wheezing  when  the  child  breathes,  try  a 
mustard  paste  made  of  one  teaspoonful  of 
mustard  and  five  teaspoonfuls  of  flour. 
Make  it  with  cold  water,  and  spread  it  on 
a  thin  piece  of  cloth  or  cheese-cloth;  put 
this  on  the  child's  chest  high  up,  and  keep 
it  there  about  ten  minutes;  watch  it,  how- 


58   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

ever,  and  when  the  chest  becomes  well 
reddened  take  it  off  even  if  it  has  been  on 
a  much  shorter  time  than  the  ten  minutes. 
The  skin  of  some  children  is  much  more 
tender  than  that  of  others,  and  will  redden 
in  five  minutes,  while  others  can  stand  it 
for  twenty  minutes  before  any  effects  are 
felt.  Do  not  run  any  risk;  sit  by  the 
child  and  peep  at  the  chest  every  few  mo- 
ments to  see  that  it  is  all  right.  It  is  not 
a  bad  plan  to  rub  some  sweet-oil  on  the 
chest  to  prevent  any  possibility  of  blister- 
ing. When  applying  the  paste  cover  it 
neatly  with  a  square  of  cloth  or  towel  to 
prevent  its  soiling  the  clothing,  and  on 
removing  it  gently  dry  the  skin  with  a  soft 
cloth. 

The  action  of  the  steam  is  to  lubricate 
the  air-passages  leading  to  the  lungs,  also 
the  air-cells  of  the  lungs  themselves,  and 
thus  relieve  the  irritation.  The  object  of 
the  mustard  paste  on  the  chest  is  to  re- 
lieve the  congested  blood-vessels  of  the 
lungs,  the  heat  of  the  mustard  drawing  the 
blood  from  the  lungs  toward  the  surface 
of  the  skin.  Does  not  this  sound  more 
sensible  than  giving  medicines  which  go 


HOME  TREATMENT  59 

into  the  stomach,  not  the  lungs?  Castor- 
oil  should  be  the  only  contents  of  the  home 
medicine-chest;  in  fact,  it  should  be  the 
entire  medicine-chest,  and  even  castor-oil 
must  not  be  given  indiscriminately.  A 
teaspoonful  at  the  commencement  of  a  cold 
is  often  helpful  in  carrying  off  the  mucus. 

For  a  cold  in  the  head  there  is  really 
little  to  do;  it  is  best  to  keep  the  child 
away  from  draughts  and  let  it  run  its 
course,  which  is  usually  about  a  week. 
There  are  drugs  that  can  be  given  that  will 
dry  the  mucous  membrane,  thus  making 
the  secretions  less;  there  are  also  some 
containing  opiates  which  quiet.  But,  as 
the  relief  is  only  temporary  and  both  are 
bad  for  the  stomach,  they  would  better 
be  left  alone.  For  croup,  again  the  steam 
remedy  is  good.  Here  vomiting  often 
causes  relief,  but  vomiting  can  be  induced 
by  running  the  fingers  down  the  throat  or 
by  giving  a  little  warm  water  and  mustard. 
Sponges  and  cloths  wrung  out  of  hot  water 
and  applied  to  the  throat  are  very  helpful 
in  croup. 

Next,  supposing  the  child  has  a  sudden 
attack  of  dysentery,  why  hasten  to  give 


60   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

medicine?  There  is  cause  for  it;  find  out 
the  cause  and  stop  that  if  possible.  It  is 
invariably  some  food  taken  into  the  stom- 
ach which  has  caused  all  the  disturbance. 
First  remove  the  disturbing  element  by  a 
good,  large  dose  of  our  only  nursery  medi- 
cine, castor-oil.  Next  stop  the  usual  food 
and  give  broth  or  gruel.  Medicines  that 
are  binding,  if  given  at  the  outset  of  the 
trouble,  only  aggravate  instead  of  reliev- 
ing. The  treatment  advised,  if  given  in 
the  early  stages  of  the  disease,  will  in  most 
instances  avert  a  more  serious  illness. 

Supposing  it  is  the  stomach  that  is  at 
fault,  the  baby  has  indigestion,  does  not 
retain  his  food,  etc.  What  help  are  drugs 
in  that  case?  Absolutely  none,  unless 
again  the  cause,  which  is  probably  the 
food,  is  removed.  If  the  child  cannot  di- 
gest the  food,  then  alter  or  adapt  it  until 
it  suits  the  digestion  of  the  child.  Do  not 
injure  the  stomach  and  make  it  still  weaker 
by  giving  medicine.  Sometimes  it  is  not 
food  that  is  the  cause  of  indigestion.  Good 
circulation  is  an  important  element.  The 
hands  and  feet  should  always  be  kept 
warm;  children  with  these  members  cold 


HOME  TREATMENT  61 

have  improper  circulation,  which  causes 
feeble  digestion  and  also  colic.  What  to  do 
for  colic?  Again  no  drug;  hot  water  by 
mouth,  warmth  to  hands  and  feet,  warmth 
to  abdomen.  When  the  child  is  restless, 
fretful,  or  crying,  again  the  mother  will  won- 
der which  medicine  in  the  medicine-chest 
will  be  most  likely  to  help  it,  and  from  a 
tempting  variety  some  one  is  sure  to  be 
selected  as  the  one  that  will  perhaps  give 
relief,  and  again  I  advise,  leave  the  medi- 
cine alone.  Do  not  give  it  unless  you  know 
what  you  are  giving  it  for.  If  you  can 
find  no  special  cause  and  it  is  near  bed- 
time, undress  the  baby,  bathe  him  with 
warm  water  (a  tub-bath  is  not  necessary), 
put  on  loose  night-clothing,  and,  with  a 
hot- water  bag  in  the  foot  of  the  bed,  tuck 
him  in  and  leave  him  and  see  if  he  will  not 
soon  fall  into  a  quiet,  peaceful  sleep.  For 
restless  children,  especially  in  hot  weather, 
a  warm  sponge-bath  on  going  to  bed,  or 
even  during  the  night,  will  act  better  than 
any  soothing  syrup  or  medicine.  Try  it. 


COLIC   AND   ATTENDANT   ILLS 


is  a  very  common  trouble  with 
infants  under  six  months  of  age,  and 
especially  during  the  first  three  months. 
The  most  frequent  cause  of  colic  is  indiges- 
tion. Breast-fed  as  well  as  bottle-fed  in- 
fants suffer  from  this  painful  trouble.  In 
the  case  of  the  first  mentioned  it  does  not 
occur  so  often,  and  when  it  does  it  is 
usually  because  the  mother  does  not  choose 
her  food  carefully.  If  she  will  be  moderate 
and  confine  her  diet  to  simple,  nourishing 
food,  drink  plenty  of  liquid,  and  keep  her 
bowels  in  good  order,  the  chances  are  that 
the  baby  will  not  suffer  from  excess  of 
gas,  which  is  the  cause  of  colic. 

If  the  baby  is  bottle-fed  the  cause  of  the 
disturbance  is  probably  that  the  food  is  not 
properly  modified  or  adapted  to  the  child's 


COLIC  AND  ATTENDANT  ILLS       63 

digestion.  Too  much  sugar  in  the  food  is 
one  cause,  and  patent  foods,  composed 
chiefly  of  some  form  of  sugar,  or  those 
made  from  starchy  products,  are  liable 
to  cause  colic.  Sugar  and  starch,  the 
latter  of  which  is  converted  into  sugar  in 
the  stomach,  cause  fermentation  of  the 
food  in  the  intestines;  from  this  gases 
arise,  distending  the  stomach,  which  neces- 
sarily causes  discomfort  and  in  some  cases 
a  great  deal  of  pain.  Inability  to  digest 
the  casein,  or  curd,  of  cow's  milk  is  another 
cause  of  colic,  and  too  much  fat  or  cream 
another. 

The  signs  of  colic  are  a  sharp,  hard  cry 
causing  the  face  to  become  red,  sometimes 
almost  blue,  according  to  the  severity  of 
the  pain.  During  these  paroxysms  the 
child  refuses  to  be  comforted.  The  ab- 
domen is  distended  and  tense,,  the  little 
legs  are  drawn  up  against  the  abdomen, 
and  the  child  is  only  relieved  by  getting 
rid  of  the  gases  formed.  Hot  liquids 
taken  into  the  stomach  or  administered  by 
intestinal  injection  are  usually  very  effect- 
ual. Do  not  give  gin,  brandy,  or  any 
stimulant  containing  alcohol;  teas  from 


64   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

herbs;  injections  containing  medication — 
all  these  I  do  not  advise  the  mother  to  give 
without  a  physician's  advice.  Pure  hot 
water  can,  however,  be  safely  given,  and 
usually  with  good  effect,  soon  causing  re- 
lief at  any  rate.  First  try  what  can  be 
done  by  giving  the  child  hot  water  through 
the  mouth;  several  teaspoonfuls  of  very 
hot  water  given  by  a  dropper  will  almost 
surely  bring  up  quantities  of  wind,  and 
the  child  will  fall  asleep  from  the  relief  it 
affords.  Picking  the  child  up  and  placing 
him  over  your  shoulder  or  laying  him  across 
the  lap  on  his  stomach,  and  gently  patting 
the  back  in  conjunction  with  the  hot  water 
given,  will  usually  relieve  the  pain,  and 
no  further  treatment  is  necessary;  but 
should  this  not  work,  rectal  injections  of 
hot  water  at  a  temperature  of  from  one 
hundred  and  five  to  one  hundred  and  ten 
degrees  may  be  given.  To  do  this,  gently 
insert  a  rectal  catheter  and  then  pour 
the  water  into  a  funnel  attached  to  the 
other  end  of  the  tube,  gently  massaging 
the  abdomen  with  the  finger-tips  from  time 
to  time.  When  from  one  to  six  ounces 
have  been  injected  remove  the  funnel  from 


COLIC  AND  ATTENDANT  ILLS        65 

the  tube  and  allow  the  water  to  run  out 
through  the  tube.  For  slight  attacks  of 
colic  the  placing  of  a  well-heated  flannel, 
or  a  hot-water  bag,  across  the  abdomen 
will  prove  very  satisfactory,  but  do  not 
fill  the  hot- water  bag  too  full,  as  the  bag 
should  not  be  heavy  and  should  also  lie 
flat  on  the  abdomen.  Lastly,  remember 
that  by  keeping  the  baby's  feet  and  hands 
warm  the  digestion,  through  good  circu- 
lation, is  very  materially  assisted,  and 
under  these  circumstances  colic  is  much 
less  likely  to  occur. 

These  attacks  of  crying  which  are  caused 
by  colic  are  likely  to  cause  rupture  or 
hernia  in  infants  under  three  months  old; 
after  this  age  the  danger  is  much  less.  The 
most  common  rupture  is  that  of  the  um- 
bilicus, or  navel.  The  other  kind  of  rup- 
ture is  an  inguinal  one,  which  is  more  com- 
mon with  boys  than  with  girls.  Umbilical 
hernia  is  less  likely  to  occur  with  fat  chil- 
dren than  with  thin  ones. 

The  treatment  of  umbilical  hernia  is  in 
most  cases  very  simple,  and  any  mother 
ought  to  be  able  to  attend  to  it  herself 
if  it  is  noticed  and  taken  care  of  in  time. 


66   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

As  soon  as  any  protrusion  of  the  navel  is 
noticed  let  the  mother  replace  it  by  placing 
her  forefinger  over  the  tumor,  pressing  it 
back  gently  and  holding  it  in  place  with 
the  linger;  then  with  the  thumb  and  mid- 
dle finger  draw  the  soft  flesh  of  the  abdo- 
men toward  the  navel  until  a  portion  of 
flesh  on  either  side  of  the  hernia  folds  over, 
meeting  in  the  middle  over  the  tumor. 
This  forms  a  natural  pad  to  keep  the  her- 
nia in  place.  While  thus  holding  it  take 
a  strip  of  rubber  adhesive  plaster,  from  one 
to  one  and  a  half  inches  wide,  and,  fasten- 
ing it  well  around  at  one  side  of  the  body 
(in  fact,  an  inch  or  two  from  the  spine), 
draw  it  tightly  around  the  body  over  the 
hernia  to  the  other  side.  Fasten  it  at 
about  the  same  distance  from  the  spine. 
This  strip  must  be  drawn  tightly  to  prove 
effectual;  it  can  be  left  on  several  days, 
even  a  week,  provided  the  plaster  does  not 
irritate  the  skin  too  much.  If  it  proves  irri- 
tating take  it  off  and  put  on  fresh  plaster. 

Constant  treatment  such  as  this  will 
often  cure  the  rupture  in  from  two  to 
four  weeks.  The  adhesive  plaster  has  an 
advantage  over  a  bandage  in  the  fact  that 


COLIC  AND  ATTENDANT  ILLS       67 

it  does  not  slip  out  of  place.  Always  be- 
fore applying  the  plaster  or  bandage  bathe 
that  part  of  the  body  with  warm  water 
and  castile  soap,  then  rub  with  fifty- 
per-cent.  alcohol  in  order  to  toughen  the 
skin  and  make  it  less  sensitive;  if,  how- 
ever, the  band  still  chafes  and  irritates 
(and  it  is  more  apt  to  do  so  in  warm 
weather  than  in  cold)  use  this  method: 
Cover  a  good-sized  wooden  button-mold 
with  Canton  flannel ;  at  either  side  attach, 
by  sewing,  a  piece  of  rubber  webbing  or 
elastic  one  inch  wide,  and  long  enough  to 
be  drawn  tightly  around  the  body  and 
fasten  in  the  back;  the  skin  under  the 
band  can  be  kept  freely  powdered  to  pre- 
vent chafing,  and  in  the  back,  where  the 
elastic  fastens,  place  two  or  three  folds  of 
soft  linen  or  absorbent  cotton  to  prevent  the 
flesh  from  being  creased,  bruised,  or  irritated. 
A  hernia  in  the  groin  is  much  harder  to 
manage,  but,  as  it  is  almost  impossible  to 
fit  so  small  a  child  with  a  truss  which  will 
keep  in  place  (a  stiff  truss  is  also  very  un- 
comfortable for  an  infant),  the  mother  can 
make  the  child  feel  easier  and,  if  the  rup- 
ture is  a  slight  one,  effect  a  cure  by  im- 


68   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

provising  a  truss  made  of  yarn.  This  is 
done  as  follows:  Take  a  few  long  strands 
of  white  yarn,  cotton  or  wool,  make  a 
rope  about  the  size  of  your  finger,  double 
this  in  the  middle  so  as  to  form  a  loop,  then 
reduce  or  put  back  the  hernia  by  gentle 
manipulation  of  the  finger-tips.  When  it 
is  reduced  hold  it  and  make  a  pad  about 
one  inch  square  by  folding  several  thick- 
nesses of  adhesive  plaster  in  such  a  man- 
ner that  on  one  side  of  the  pad  the  sticky 
side  of  the  plaster  is  exposed.  Place  this  on 
the  skin  over  the  seat  of  the  rupture;  then 
take  your  yarn,  adjust  it  around  the  body 
so  that  the  end  of  the  loop  is  directly  over 
the  pad,  draw  the  opposite  ends  of  the  yarn 
through  the  loop  quite  tightly,  then  sep- 
arate the  two  strands,  and,  bringing  one 
down  either  side  of  the  thigh,  cross  under 
the  thigh  and  bring  up  around  the  body 
again,  tying  directly  over  the  pad  in  a  tight 
knot.  This  adds  pressure  to  the  pad,  and 
the  hernia  is  kept  in  place  by  the  pad  stick- 
ing there.  It  cannot  slip.  Replace  the 
bandage  whenever  it  becomes  soiled  enough 
to  make  it  necessary.  It  is  unsafe  to  discon- 
tinue this  treatment  under  a  year  or  more. 


VI 

HOME   CURES   FOR   SCURVY 

IN  the  past  few  years,  or  since  artificial 
or  bottle  feeding  has  become  more 
general,  scurvy  has  become  a  very  com- 
mon disease  among  infants,  and  as  it  is 
easy  to  avoid  and  as  the  remedy  is  within 
easy  reach  of  every  mother,  I  think  it  may 
be  safely  classed  among  the  simple  ail- 
ments. This  disease  is  confined  almost  en- 
tirely to  infants  under  a  year  old,  and  to 
the  uninitiated  or  inexperienced  it  is  in- 
variably mistaken  first  for  some  spinal 
trouble,  later  for  rheumatism.  The  symp- 
toms are  first  noticed  when  the  child's  legs 
are  moved.  When  the  legs  are  raised  the 
child  will  cry,  hence  the  supposition  that 
there  is  something  wrong  with  the  back. 
But  as  the  disease  progresses  it  is  noticed 
that  the  child  cries  every  time  it  is  moved 


70   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

or  touched,  that  there  is  tenderness  about 
the  joints,  often  accompanied  by  a  slight 
discoloration  of  the  flesh  surrounding  them ; 
then  the  rheumatic  theory  comes  in.  Now, 
as  a  matter  of  fact,  rheumatism  in  children 
under  a  year  and  a  half  is  an  extremely  rare 
disease.  When  a  bottle-fed  infant  shows 
signs  of  pain  when  moved,  if  the  joints  are 
very  tender,  look  in  the  mouth  and  you 
will  also,  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  find 
the  gums  of  a  purplish  color  and  swollen. 
Under  these  conditions  you  may  be  al- 
most positive  that  the  child  has  scor- 
butus  or,  as  it  is  commonly  called,  infan- 
tile scurvy.  There  are  very  few  cases  on 
record  of  nursing  babies  having  contracted 
this  disease.  It  is  caused  usually  by  the 
injudicious  preparation  of  cow's  milk  or 
the  continued  use  of  prepared  foods  which 
have  been  thoroughly  cooked  in  the  proc- 
ess of  manufacture,  and  require  only  the 
addition  of  milk,  water,  or  milk  and  water, 
to  make  them  possible  as  a  food  ready  to 
serve.  By  the  injudicious  preparation  of 
cow's  milk  is  meant  constant  sterilization 
or  boiling.  If  the  milk  is  treated  in  this 
way  for  months,  and  in  some  instances 


HOME  CURES  FOR  SCURVY          71 

even  for  weeks,  scurvy  is  very  apt  to  be 
the  result. 

The  treatment  of  this  ailment  is  most 
simple  and  effectual.  No  medicine  is 
needed,  simply  a  change  to  a  diet  which 
contains  a  natural  food  in  its  raw  state. 
Milk,  for  instance,  unsterilized,  is  a  raw 
food,  but  it  should  be  properly  diluted. 
Orange  juice  or  beef  juice,  from  one-half 
to  two  ounces  twice  a  day,  is  usually 
quite  necessary  to  effect  a  cure,  although 
in  some  mild  cases  change  of  food  is  often 
sufficient.  With  this  simple  treatment  the 
improvement  is  marvelous  and  is  frequent- 
ly seen  after  the  first  twenty-four  hours, 
but  a  complete  recovery  usually  takes  from 
one  to  three  weeks. 

I  would  caution  the  young  mother,  when- 
ever the  child  shows  the  slightest  tender- 
ness and  disinclination  to  move,  to  care- 
fully observe  the  symptoms  described, 
and  to  try  the  remedies  suggested  before 
giving  nauseating  doses  which  may  dis- 
arrange the  stomach  or  even  resorting  to 
other  methods  of  treatment.  This  advice 
is  not  given  with  any  intention  of  fore- 
stalling the  doctor.  It  is  intended  for  the 

6 


72   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

use  of  many  readers  who  may  live  in 
isolated  country  districts  where  the  ser- 
vices of  a  doctor  are  not  easily  obtained. 
The  young  mother,  not  suspecting  the 
character  or  the  cause  of  the  child's  suf- 
fering, often  allows  this  trouble  to  progress 
until  serious  conditions  prevail,  and  some- 
times a  life  is  sacrificed,  but  if  corrected  in 
time  no  harm  is  likely  to  occur  from  one 
of  these  attacks.  The  remedies  suggested 
are  within  the  scope  of  the  mother,  and 
simple  enough  to  cause  no  harm  if  a  mis- 
take in  diagnosis  is  made. 

The  value  of  warm  baths  and  their  effect 
upon  nervous  or  fretful  children,  whether 
in  sickness  or  health,  cannot  be  over- 
estimated. Every  infant,  unless  there  is 
some  good  reason  to  the  contrary,  such 
as  a  skin  affection  or  illness,  should  have 
two  baths  a  day — one  a  tub-bath  in  the 
morning,  the  other  a  warm  sponge-bath 
when  put  to  bed.  The  morning  bath  is 
conducive  to  healthfulness  and  cleanliness, 
the  sponge-bath  at  night  is  most  useful  on 
account  of  its  quieting  and  soothing  effect. 
Neither  bath  should  be  above  or  below 
ninety-eight  degrees  temperature;  at  this 


HOME  CURES  FOR  SCURVY          73 

temperature  there  can  be  no  danger  from 
cold.  The  morning  bath  removes  such 
deposits  as  have  been  excreted  by  the 
skin  during  the  night,  leaving  the  pores 
open  and  not,  as  many  people  suppose, 
making  the  child  more  sensitive  to  cold. 
It  cleanses  the  millions  of  little  pores,  al- 
lowing them  to  exude  certain  oils  which 
lubricate  the  skin  and  keep  it  soft  and  fine, 
at  the  same  time  throwing  off  refuse  which 
accumulates  in  the  circulation. 

As  to  the  evening  sponge  -  bath,  the 
mother  with  a  cross  and  fretful  baby  has 
only  to  try  it  to  appreciate  its  value  as  a 
quieting  and  soothing  agent.  For  this 
bath  no  soap  nor  extensive  preparations, 
such  as  completely  undressing  the  baby, 
are  necessary.  A  basin  of  warm  water  (a 
very  little  alcohol  may  be  used,  but  it  is 
not  essential)  and  a  soft  wash-cloth  are  all 
that  are  needed.  Strip  the  baby  down  to 
shirt  or  band  and  diaper  and  bathe  the 
face,  neck,  arms,  and  legs.  Next  unfasten 
the  shirt  and  bathe  the  chest,  then  remove 
the  diaper  and  with  the  damp  wash-cloth 
go  over  the  thighs,  then  gently  dry  the 
baby  and  put  on  his  nightgown.  Place 


74   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

the  baby  in  his  crib,  give  him  his  bottle, 
and  nine  times  out  of  ten  he  cannot  resist 
the  soothing  influence  of  bath  and  bottle 
combined,  and  will  be  in  the  quiet  land  of 
Nod  before  either  he  or  the  mother  realizes  it. 
The  warm  sponge-bath  is  even  more 
effectual  in  sickness,  especially  when  there 
is  fever.  Children  suffering  from  any  dis- 
ease where  the  temperature  is  high  enough 
to  cause  restlessness,  whether  the  disease 
is  of  the  brain,  lungs,  or  intestines,  if  there 
is  not  actual  and  intense  pain,  no  matter 
how  restless,  will  invariably  quiet  down 
and  be  much  relieved  if  this  bath  be  given. 
There  is  absolutely  no  danger  from  a  bath 
of  this  kind,  as  it  is  given  at  the  normal 
temperature  of  the  body.  If  the  tempera- 
ture of  the  child  is  subnormal,  it  warms  and 
soothes  the  child;  if  the  temperature  is 
very  high,  it  invariably  lowers  it  without 
shock  to  the  child,  making  the  patient 
more  comfortable  in  every  way.  A  rest- 
less child  at  night  can  be  quieted  and  put 
to  sleep  by  this  tepid  bath;  it  will  hardly 
take  ten  minutes  to  give  it,  and  the  tired 
mother  can  then  have  an  uninterrupted 
night's  rest. 


HOME  CURES  FOR  SCURVY          75 

The  second  summer  has  always  been 
considered  a  more  or  less  critical  period 
of  an  infant's  life.  With  a  moderate 
amount  of  observation  and  care  on  the 
part  of  the  mother,  there  is  no  reason  why 
this  period  should  be  the  cause  of  any 
more  anxiety  than  the  first  summer,  for 
after  the  first  year  is  past  most  of  the  diffi- 
culties of  the  early  feeding  period  are  or 
ought  to  be  over.  The  most  serious  diffi- 
culty to  be  encountered  in  the  second  sum- 
mer is  the  danger  of  overfeeding  in  com- 
bination with  teething,  and  if  this  serious 
mistake  is  avoided  there  is  no  reason  why 
the  child  should  not  go  through  this  por- 
tion of  his  life  unscathed.  The  largest  and 
most  troublesome  teeth  are  about  to  push 
their  way  through  the  gums;  this  natural- 
ly causes  some  disturbance  to  the  baby's 
sensitive  system.  There  is  in  many  cases 
slight  fever  off  and  on  for  a  few  days,  and 
in  view  of  these  facts  the  child's  diges- 
tion should  be  carefully  watched;  the 
diet  should  be  modified.  In  the  first 
place,  when  there  is  fever,  no  matter  from 
what  cause,  reduce  the  quantity  of  food. 
If  solid  food  has  been  given,  it  should  be 


76   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

discontinued  for  at  least  twenty-four  hours. 
The  pain  and  discomfort  of  cutting  teeth, 
especially  during  the  heated  term,  are 
enough  to  cause  fever,  which  will  often 
run  up  to  one  hundred  and  three  degrees 
and  over.  This  naturally  causes  fretful- 
ness  on  the  part  of  the  child,  also  consider- 
able thirst.  The  child  will  eagerly  put  out 
its  hands  for  liquids  of  any  kind,  and  the 
mother  naturally  mistakes  this  for  hunger, 
and  instead  of  reducing  the  food,  more  is 
given,  especially  an  extra  bottle  or  drink 
of  milk  at  night.  Again,  the  little  tooth 
will  lie  under  the  skin  of  the  gum  for  days, 
struggling  to  get  through,  without  any 
effort  being  made  to  assist  nature.  Watch 
the  gums  carefully,  and  when  the  new 
tooth  can  be  seen  or  distinctly  felt  beneath 
the  skin,  take  a  clean  piece  of  gauze  or  the 
end  of  a  perfectly  clean  towel  and  rub  the 
gums,  with  the  finger-nails  protected  with 
the  gauze  or  towel,  until  the  gums  bleed; 
the  bleeding  will  greatly  relieve  the  con- 
gestion of  those  parts  if  nothing  more,  but 
usually  is  the  means  of  letting  the  little 
tooth  through,  greatly  to  the  relief  of  the 
child,  and  causing  reduction  of  the  fever. 


HOME  CURES  FOR  SCURVY          77 

By  the  time  the  last  teeth  are  about  to 
make  their  appearance  the  gums  have  be- 
come much  toughened  by  constant  biting, 
and  naturally  the  teeth  do  not  come 
through  quite  as  easy  as  the  earlier  ones. 
Consequently,  if  the  symptoms  are  care- 
fully watched,  the  gums  relieved,  or  na- 
ture assisted  when  necessary,  if  the  food 
is  reduced  when  there  is  fever  or  even  dis- 
comfort, the  cause  for  alarm  during  the 
second  summer  is  reduced  to  a  minimum. 
As  regards  the  reduction  of  the  food,  I 
would  offer  the  following  suggestions:  If 
the  diet  is  milk,  reduce  the  quality  by 
diluting  with  boiled  water  or  a  dextrinized 
gruel;  the  quantity  need  not  be  changed. 
Or,  if  there  is  vomiting  or  diarrhea,  give 
only  a  dextrinized  gruel  or  clear  broth 
without  fat  for  twenty -four  hours  or  more. 
If  the  child  is  having  solid  food  even  in 
small  quantities,  stop  it  for  a  short  time 
until  the  fever  goes  and  digestion  is  nor- 
mal, then  commence  gradually  to  increase 
the  food  to  its  regular  strength.  Do  not 
be  alarmed  at  any  loss  of  weight  at  this 
time;  it  is  but  natural,  and  the  child  will 
make  it  up  later. 


Part  II 
THE  TRAINING  OF  CHILDREN 


VII 

TRAINING  THE   BABY  TO   SLEEP 

THE  general  training  of  children,  stub- 
born or  otherwise,  is  a  subject  that 
has  been  widely  discoursed  upon  by  edu- 
cators and  others.  Much  valuable  infor- 
mation has  been  put  forth  on  the  subject, 
especially  about  children  from  three  or 
four  years  old  up  to  the  time  when  child- 
hood begins  to  become  a  thing  of  the  past. 
Many  years  of  work  and  personal  contact 
with  children  under  this  age  have  been  to 
me  most  interesting  and  instructive  in  de- 
veloping facts  regarding  the  urgent  neces- 
sity for  careful  training  from  earliest  in- 
fancy. This  is  a  time  when  the  character 
is  moist  clay  in  the  potter's  hands  to  do 
with  what  he  will.  In  looking  back  over 
the  hundreds  of  children  whom  I  have  had 
no  small  share  in  caring  for,  each  little 


82   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

one  seems  to  have  had  its  own  individual 
personality  with  its  own  peculiar  virtues 
or  failings.  No  two  were  alike,  while  at 
the  same  time  there  was  a  strange  similarity 
in  the  unconscious  response  each  one  made 
to  any  influence  brought  to  bear  upon  its 
weak  or  strong  points,  as  the  case  might 
be. 

One  would  hardly  expect  to  find  marked 
traits  of  character  in  a  very  young  infant; 
nevertheless  they  are  there,  and  show 
themselves  very  strongly,  often  when  the 
infant  is  not  more  than  twenty-four  hours 
old.  This,  then,  is  the  time  to  commence 
your  training.  Begin  the  molding  process 
right  now.  It  is  for  you  to  make  the  child 
what  you  will,  and  if  begun  now  the  task 
will  not  be  a  difficult  one.  I  have  often 
seen  the  most  stubborn  and  even  vicious 
children  in  a  marvelously  short  time  suc- 
cumb completely  to  good  influence,  be- 
coming sunny-tempered,  obedient,  and 
lovable. 

Infants  are  helpless,  consequently  they 
require  our  care,  and  it  is  a  matter  of  duty 
that  this  should  be  our  intelligent  best. 
Do  not  depend  on  guessing  in  this  impor- 


TRAINING  THE  BABY  TO  SLEEP     83 

tant  matter;  it  is  not  safe.  Children  re- 
quire love,  sympathy,  companionship,  and 
amusement  just  as  much  as  the  adult,  prob- 
ably more ;  but  remember  that  a  surfeit  of 
good  things  has  the  same  effect  upon  the 
young  as  it  does  upon  an  older  person. 
It  seems  rather  ridiculous,  does  it  not,  to 
think  of  a  child,  and  a  very  young  one  at 
that,  becoming  blase-tired  of  the  good 
things  offered?  But  it  is  true.  We  do 
not  have  to  look  very  far  to  see  children, 
even  infants,  turn  away  their  heads  with 
a  shriek  of  disapprobation  when  well- 
meant  but  constant  demonstrations  of 
affection  are  thrust  upon  them.  This  open 
rebellion  goes  to  show  how  distasteful  it 
is  to  the  child.  Occasionally  children  of 
not  over-robust  constitutions  become  so 
wearied  and  weak  with  handling,  hugging, 
and  kissing  that,  like  a  sensitive  plant,  they 
wilt,  and  with  pathetic  patience  submit 
to  the  inevitable  because  they  are  too  weak 
to  resist. 

A  selfish,  nervous,  unhappy  child  is  in- 
variably the  result  of  over-indulgence  on 
the  part  of  the  parent,  and  not  infrequent- 
ly the  parent  reaps  a  bitter  reward  in  ut- 


84   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

terly  failing  to  hold  the  respect,  love,  and 
obedience  which  are  due  the  parent  from 
the  child.  Children  who  are  over-in- 
dulged lack  self-control,  and  self-control 
taught  at  a  very  early  age  soon  ceases 
to  be  self-control.  It  becomes  a  habit  of 
trust  in  the  mother,  confidence  in  her  dis- 
cretion, love,  and  judgment.  If  this  early 
training  is  delayed,  almost  before  the 
mother  realizes  it  she  finds  a  wilful  and 
stubborn  child;  then  if  she  tries  to  correct 
the  faults  she  has  nourished  she  will  realize 
that  the  remodeling  process  is  a  far  more 
difficult  task  than  the  molding  would 
have  been  in  the  beginning.  If  you  com- 
mence to  humor  the  child  early  in  life  by 
walking,  rocking,  or  some  other  form  of 
entertainment,  he  will  have  a  right  to  ex- 
pect to  be  humored  in  other  things,  and  he 
usually  is  humored  until  he  becomes  the 
autocrat  who  holds  sway  over  every  one 
with  whom  he  comes  in  contact. 

Some  time  ago  a  young  father  came  to 
me  in  genuine  distress,  looking  completely 
worn  out.  His  six-weeks-old  baby  had 
not  slept  a  single  night  since  it  was  born, 
and  so  cross  and  irritable  was  the  child 


TRAINING  THE  BABY  TO  SLEEP      85 

that  one  week  was  the  average  stay  of  any 
nurse.  In  the  six  weeks  five  had  already 
succumbed  to  the  nervous  strain  of  caring 
for  this  one  small  infant.  The  history 
obtained  from  the  father  was  that  for  the 
first  few  days  after  his  birth  the  infant 
was  scarcely  out  of  the  nurse's  arms;  he 
was  rocked,  walked  with,  and  dandled  on 
the  nurse's  lap  with  the  idea  of  keeping 
him  quiet,  as  the  mother  was  very  ill,  and 
it  was  thought  she  might  possibly  be  made 
worse  by  hearing  the  infant  cry.  A  week 
or  two  later,  when  the  mother  was  a  little 
stronger,  and  the  nurse  felt  that  it  was  no 
longer  necessary  to  humor  the  baby,  his 
majesty  was  not  willing  to  do  without  one 
of  these  attentions — even  for  a  moment. 
He  demanded  that  all  previous  ones  be 
continued  and  that  a  little  more  be  added. 
He  had  already  discovered  that  by  crying 
he  was  sure  to  come  out  ahead  in  the  strug- 
gle, and  he  used  his  powers  to  the  full 
extent. 

The  result  was  that  this  six-weeks-old 
infant  ruled  with  a  rod  of  iron  an  entire 
household  of  several  adults,  who  took  turns 
walking  the  floor  with  him  the  greater  part 


86   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

of  the  twenty-four  hours.  After  consider- 
able persuasion  the  little  autocrat  did  con- 
sent, under  protest,  to  lie  on  a  large  bed 
part  of  the  night,  provided  somebody  sat 
beside  him  and  continually  joggled  the 
wire  mattress  up  and  down;  his  crib  he 
positively  refused  to  lie  in.  The  father 
and  nurse  took  turns  in  joggling,  and  un- 
der these  conditions  he  kindly  consented 
to  sleep  at  short  intervals,  but  always  with 
one  eye  open.  If  the  joggling  attentions 
ceased  for  one-half  minute  in  order  that 
the  joggler  might  catch  forty  winks  a  sharp 
yell  immediately  reminded  him  of  his 
duties,  hence  the  frequent  change  of  nurses 
and  the  worn,  pathetic  look  of  the  young 
father. 

It  took  considerable  argument  to  con- 
vince the  father  that  the  child  was  not 
suffering  from  some  terrible  internal  mal- 
ady, and  later,  when  it  was  advised  that 
the  much-indulged  and  spoiled  child  be 
put  into  his  crib  at  night,  the  lights  turned 
down,  and  the  infant  then  left  to  go  to  sleep 
alone  and  without  any  further  attentions, 
the  suggestion  was  greeted  with  horror. 
In  the  course  of  conversation  and  argu- 


TRAINING  THE  BABY  TO  SLEEP     87 

ment  the  fond  parent's  vanity  was  some- 
what hurt  when  it  was  hinted  that  the 
head  of  the  house  had  abdicated  his  au- 
thority to  the  will  of  a  six-weeks-old  auto- 
crat, and  meekly  acquiesced  whenever  the 
son  commanded.  However,  he  decided  to 
carry  out  the  suggestion  that  had  been 
offered.  The  nervous  wife  accepted  an 
invitation  to  spend  a  few  days  with  her 
mother,  and  that  night  father  and  son  had 
it  out  together.  This  is  what  happened: 
son  strenuously  rebelled  for  one  hour  and 
a  half,  then  gave  up  the  fight,  never  to  re- 
new it.  Why?  Because  the  father  was 
made  painfully  conscious  during  this  hour- 
and-a-half  struggle  that  his  part  of  the 
discipline  was  by  far  the  hardest  to  bear, 
and  he  made  a  solemn  vow  to  be  the 
officer  in  command  from  that  time 
forth. 

In  the  matter  of  amusements,  for  the 
first  six  months,  at  least,  the  infant  does 
not  require  much  attention.  Up  to  the 
third  month  he  will  find  enough  to  amuse 
himself,  first  in  getting  acquainted  with 
his  surroundings,  then  with  the  objects  in 
his  room,  next  his  fingers  and  toes.  Later 

7 


88   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

let  him  have  a  simple  toy,  but  do  not 
crowd  toys  upon  him;  the  appreciation 
and  pleasure  is  not  as  great  when  there 
is  a  surfeit.  There  is  no  doubt  that  it 
gives  the  adult  a  great  deal  of  pleasure  to 
shower  gifts  and  amusements  upon  chil- 
dren of  all  ages,  but  is  not  the  motive  more 
or  less  selfish  on  our  part  ?  In  the  pleasure 
it  gives  us  do  we  not  overlook  the  harm  we 
may  be  doing?  In  fact,  we  are  sometimes 
hurt  by  the  child's  lack  of  enthusiasm  over 
our  gifts.  I  know  of  two  children  whose 
doting  parents  and  relatives  surfeit  them 
with  expensive  toys  of  every  variety,  until 
now  they  have  ceased  to  express  any  pleas- 
ure whatever  at  a  gift ;  each  new  toy  given 
them  is  critically  looked  over,  then  in  a 
bored  manner  cast  aside  and  usually  never 
touched  again.  When  asked  what  they 
wanted  for  Christmas  they  replied:  "Noth- 
ing ;  we  must  have  everything  there  is  now." 
But  these  same  children  at  a  small  enter- 
tainment where  there  was  a  grab-bag  which 
contained  only  the  simplest  kind  of  toys, 
probably  not  one  costing  over  five  cents, 
went  into  ecstasies  of  delight  over  a  few 
common  wooden  toys  drawn  from  the  bag; 


TRAINING  THE  BABY  TO  SLEEP     89 

these  were  taken  home  and  played  with 
for  months. 

That  familiarity  breeds  contempt  is  true, 
and  most  forcibly  is  it  shown  in  the  rela- 
tions of  many  children  to  their  parents. 
What  child  can  respect  the  parent  whom  in 
most  things  he  rules?  The  only  love  he 
bears  for  such  a  parent  is  a  selfish  one,  be- 
cause the  parent  is  the  medium  through 
which  he  accomplishes  his  desires  and 
ends.  Parents  (while  the  child  is  very 
young)  cannot  begin  to  realize  the  irre- 
mediable wrong  they  are  inflicting  upon 
their  children  when  they  cater  to  every 
whim  and  gratify  every  wish.  Examples  of 
children  thus  spoiled  are  unhappily  only 
too  much  in  evidence  wherever  one  goes, 
and  the  pitiful  part  of  it  is  that  in  a  very 
few  years,  when  they  are  older  and  stronger, 
they  become  more  and  more  unmanageable. 

Then  comes  the  long  and  bitter  struggle 
for  mastery  between  parent  and  child.  If 
the  parent  fails,  which  is  most  often  the 
case,  the  poor  victim  of  misdirected  affec- 
tion is  usually  turned  over  to  tutor  or 
governess,  and  this  person,  whether  good, 
bad,  or  indifferent,  or  whether  possessing 


90   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

any  fitness  for  the  task  or  not,  is  expected 
to  remodel  the  clay  which  by  this  time  is 
pretty  well  set.  This  failing,  there  are 
numerous  boarding-schools,  many  of  which 
advertise  as  making  a  specialty  of  training 
incorrigible  children.  It  is  a  great  reflec- 
tion on  the  influence  of  the  modern  parent 
that  so  many  children  of  tender  years  are 
sheltered  in  these  schools,  and  at  an  age 
when  children  need  a  parent's  love  and 
guidance  as  well  as  the  influence  and  com- 
fort which  only  a  good  home  can  give. 
On  the  other  hand,  it  may  be  said  to  the 
credit  of  these  schools  that  their  influence 
has  been  the  redemption  of  many  badly 
spoiled  children. 

The  summer  hotel  and  boarding-house 
are  also  places  where  children  of  this  type 
abound — rude,  undisciplined,  and  ill-bred. 
It  is  no  small  wonder  that  so  many  hotels 
refuse  to  take  children. 

Between  parent  and  child  there  should 
be  a  close  bond  of  friendship.  Where  this 
exists  love,  respect,  and  obedience  follow 
in  the  natural  course  of  events.  These 
qualities  are  not  made  to  order  or  on  de- 
mand, but  spring  to  life  and  grow  only 


TRAINING  THE  BABY  TO  SLEEP     91 

when  properly  nurtured,  which  is  not  by 
over-indulgence,  nor  by  paying  another 
to  assume  your  responsibility. 

As  the  training  of  most  children  devolves 
chiefly  upon  the  mother,  it  rests  in  a  great 
measure  with  her  whether  her  children  are 
to  be  a  tiresome  burden  or  a  great  pleasure. 
The  whole  secret  of  success  in  managing  a 
child  is  to  start  early  and  right.  It  re- 
quires some  little  nerve  and  self-sacrifice, 
but  only  for  a  very  little  while;  then  the 
Rubicon  is  crossed  and  the  way  is  smoothed, 
and  as  the  child  grows  the  task  becomes 
more  and  more  easy. 

While  firmness  and  decision  are  most 
necessary  to  this  training,  do  not  for  a  mo- 
ment forget  that  love,  sympathy,  and  gen- 
tleness must  go  with  it ;  but  not  with  such 
lavishness  as  to  prove  a  drawback.  To 
be  too  constantly  in  each  other's  society  is 
not  good  for  either  mother  or  child.  Under 
these  circumstances,  from  constant  asso- 
ciation the  child  will  impose  upon  the 
mother;  it  becomes  exacting  and  peevish, 
while  the  mother,  from  never  being  free 
from  care  night  or  day,  cannot  help  being 
more  or  less  impatient  and  unjust  at  times. 


92   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

The  mother  who  makes  it  a  rule  to  de- 
vote a  certain  portion  or  portions  of  each 
day  to  her  children,  who  plays,  laughs, 
talks  with  them,  seldom  fails  to  secure 
their  love  and  respect.  She  should  make 
them  feel  that  this  time  is  her  gift  to  them ; 
it  belongs  to  them,  and  nothing  should  in- 
terfere to  take  her  away  at  this  hour.  The 
children  soon  learn  not  to  expect  attention 
at  any  other  time,  and  look  forward  to 
these  hours  when  the  mother  is  with  them 
as  the  most  precious  in  the  twenty-four, 
as  they  should  be.  The  mother,  too,  has 
leisure  then,  and  can  properly  attend  to 
household  and  other  duties  as  well  as  in- 
dulge in  a  necessary  amount  of  pleasure. 
Every  one  needs  a  certain  amount  of  rec- 
reation; by  managing  in  this  way,  and 
not  giving  up  her  whole  time  to  the  chil- 
dren, both  parent  and  child  derive  much 
benefit.  There  is  for  the  child  the  ad- 
vantage that  the  mother  comes  to  him 
fresh  and  young  for  a  romp  and  play; 
she  is  not  worried,  nervous,  nor  prema- 
turely old  from  the  constant  care  and 
worry  of  fretful  children.  Their  noise 
does  not  annoy  her;  it  is  not  a  con- 


TRAINING  THE  BABY  TO  SLEEP     93 

tinual  "stop,"  "no,"  and  "don't"  on  her 
part,  which  is  not  infrequently  the  case 
where  mother  and  child  are  thrown  so 
continually  together  as  to  tire  each 
other. 


VIII 


THE  whole  art —  for  it  is  an  art  —  of 
managing  children  depends  very  large- 
ly on  the  early  control  of  the  child.  This 
determines  the  frequency  of  the  necessity 
for  punishing  the  child  when  he  is  older. 
For  your  early  pains  you  will  have  your 
reward;  not  in  a  perfect  child,  as  perfec- 
tion does  not  exist  in  this  world,  but  you 
will  have  the  love,  respect,  and  confidence 
of  your  child,  and  there  will  be  less  dis- 
position to  wilfulness  and  wrong-doing 
than  exists  in  children  who  are  left  by  their 
parents  to  follow  their  own  inclinations 
and  bring  themselves  up,  as  it  were.  It 
is  also  essential  to  bear  in  mind  that  after 
the  wrong  has  been  done,  punishment  in- 
flicted, and  repentance  expressed,  it  is  well 
to  let  the  whole  affair  drop  right  there. 


"MANAGING"  THE  CHILD  95 

Forget  it ;  never  humiliate  the  child  or  hurt 
his  feelings  by  alluding  to  the  unpleasant- 
ness again.  It  is  of  no  assistance  in  the 
training,  nor  does  it  make  the  child's  dis- 
position better  in  any  way  to  continually 
remind  him  of  errors  of  the  past.  Neither 
should  a  punishment  ever  be  mentioned 
to  others  in  the  child's  presence;  to  do  so 
is  a  mean  advantage  to  take  of  the  child, 
who  has  usually  suffered  enough  humilia- 
tion and  shame.  It  is  often  trying,  even 
harmful,  to  have  one's  feelings  ruffled  and 
trampled  upon  and  private  affairs  openly 
discussed  with  family,  neighbor,  or  friend. 
It  is  this  sort  of  trr'ng  that  strikes  down 
deep  in  the  heart  of  a  sensitive  little  child 
and  crushes  the  true  spirit  out  of  him. 
Most  children  are  acutely  sensitive  as  well 
as  keen,  and  yet,  knowing  this,  how  many 
mothers  do  we  find  ruthlessly  exposing 
their  inmost  feelings,  mothers  who,  when 
a  little  child  in  shame  or  because  it  is  shy 
hides  its  little  head,  seem  to  think  this  act 
of  self-defense  a  cunning  trick  to  be  ex- 
hibited on  occasions  without  regard  to  the 
child's  feelings.  I  have  known  children 
only  several  months  old  to  show  decided 


96   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

signs  of  embarrassment  under  similar  con- 
ditions, which  goes  to  show  how  much 
more  delicate  and  refined  were  their  per- 
ceptions than  those  of  the  mothers  who 
placed  them  on  exhibition  without  regard 
for  their  sensitive  feelings. 

The  influence  of  early  training  is  strong- 
ly felt  in  the  sick-room,  and  it  is  not  an 
exaggeration  to  say  that  in  case  of  sick- 
ness an  infant  or  child  who  has  had  the 
advantage  of  being  well  trained  stands  a 
far  better  chance  for  recovery  than  a  child 
who  has  been  neglected  in  this  respect. 
The  well-trained  child  in  a  measure  lacks 
nerves;  at  any  rate,  he  has  not  any  dread 
or  fear  of  unpleasant  things  happening. 
He  has  faith  and  confidence  in  those  who 
care  for  him.  Character  and  self-control 
unconsciously  become  strong  points,  and 
the  consequences  are  that  when  ill  he 
naturally,  without  resistance  or  fear,  re- 
ceives all  efforts  made  to  relieve  his  dis- 
comfort. This  calm  acceptance  of  the 
inevitable  is  an  immense  saving  of  energy, 
and  enables  the  child  better  to  withstand 
any  inroads  made  by  a  simple  illness  or 
serious  disease.  The  chances  for  recovery 


"MANAGING"  THE  CHILD  97 

in  these  cases  are  far  greater  than  those 
of  a  nervous,  fretful,  spoiled  child  who 
is  always  anticipating  unpleasant  things, 
who  is  utterly  lacking  in  self-control  at  such 
times,  and  who  cries,  fusses,  and  resists  all 
attempts  to  make  him  comfortable  or  re- 
lieve his  sufferings. 

These  children  are  by  far  the  most  dis- 
couraging and  unsatisfactory  patients  that 
a  doctor  treats  or  a  nurse  cares  for.  All 
efforts  on  their  part  are  met  with  poor  re- 
sponse; recovery  is  always  retarded  and 
sometimes  made  impossible  when  they  are 
forced  to  labor  under  such  conditions. 

One  of  the  many  cases  of  this  kind  that 
have  come  to  my  notice  was  that  of  a 
mother  whose  love  and  devotion  for  her 
first  baby  were  so  great  that  she  forgot 
even  to  consider  whether  her  spoiling  was 
for  the  child's  good  or  not.  This  little 
baby,  who  was  perfectly  healthy  at  birth, 
by  the  time  he  reached  the  age  of  eight  or 
nine  months  was  a  very  frail  little  bit  of 
humanity,  all  through  the  mother's  ex- 
aggerated love  and  the  extreme  overdoing 
of  every  attention  which  was  necessary  for 
his  well-being.  The  mother  had  been  re- 


g8   YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

monstrated  with  several  times,  but  where 
the  baby  was  concerned  she  was  absolutely 
deaf  to  reason.  He  was  her  child;  she 
alone  was  responsible ;  if  she  chose  to  spoil 
him  while  a  little  baby  she  would  and  was 
perfectly  willing  to  assume  all  responsi- 
bility and  suffer  the  consequences  later. 
She  felt  confident  there  could  be  ''no  seri- 
ous consequences,"  for  surely  such  love 
as  hers  could  not  fail  to  bring  forth  a 
spontaneous  response  from  the  child. 
From  the  young  mother's  point  of  view 
there  could  be  no  question  as  to  her  being 
right  in  this  matter;  she  never  once  con- 
sidered that  she  had  given  the  baby  no 
choice  whatever,  or  at  least  that  he  could 
not  plead  his  own  case,  in  this  one-sided 
contest.  As  the  weeks  became  months, 
and  in  spite  of  all  theories,  the  baby  did 
not  thrive,  doctor  after  doctor  was  con- 
sulted, but  the  existing  conditions  made 
their  efforts  all  but  valueless.  At  the  end 
of  six  or  seven  months  the  "spontaneous 
response"  that  was  looked  for  was  not 
forthcoming,  and  the  child's  physical  con- 
dition was  slowly  but  surely  growing  worse 
and  worse.  The  mother,  too,  was  now  be- 


"MANAGING"  THE  CHILD  99 

ginning  to  suffer  the  consequences  which 
she  had  so  confidently  courted  earlier,  in 
the  form  of  a  complete  nervous  breakdown, 
and  the  physician  peremptorily  ordered 
that  the  mother  and  child  be  separated 
for  several  months.  The  child  was  placed 
in  the  care  of  a  good  and  sensible  nurse, 
and  was  not  long  in  responding  to  normal 
care  and  treatment. 

Children  should  be  spared  all  nervous 
strain.  It  is  remarkable  how  easily  chil- 
dren are  affected  by  the  moods  of  the  peo- 
ple with  whom  they  come  in  contact. 
If  a  nurse  is  gloomy  or  morose  this  seldom 
fails  to  show  its  effects  upon  the  child's 
disposition.  Change  the  nurse  for  a  bright 
and  cheerful  person  and  see  what  a  marked 
change  it  will  make  in  the  little  one's  happi- 
ness. I  have  seen  very  young  infants  stop 
feeding,  refuse  to  take  the  breast  again, 
and  a  distinctly  worried  look  come  over 
their  little  faces  because  some  worry  or 
trouble  has  caused  the  mother  to  cry  while 
she  was  nursing  the  child.  Do  not  make 
the  mistake  of  thinking  that  even  a  very 
young  child  does  not  understand  and  is 
not  affected  when  you  give  way  to  your 


ioo  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

feelings,  when  you  discuss  troubles,  worries, 
family  cares,  or  settle  unpleasant  differ- 
ences, or  quarrel  while  they  are  in  your 
presence.  Children  are  remarkably  sus- 
ceptible to  unpleasant  conditions,  and  are 
much  keener  of  comprehension  than  they 
are  ordinarily  given  credit  for  being. 
Scenes  or  demonstrations  of  sorrow  and 
trouble  should  be  carefully  guarded  against 
when  they  are  near,  for  the  nervous  strain 
consequent  upon  such  is  much  greater 
than  their  little  strength  should  be  called 
upon  to  bear.  We  cannot  comprehend  the 
workings  of  their  minds  nor  know  what 
pangs  they  quietly  endure,  but  the  effects 
will  often  be  manifest  in  restless  nights, 
loss  of  appetite,  and  fretfulness. 

It  is  also  well  to  give  a  little  child  credit 
for  a  moderate  amount  of  common  sense. 
They  really  have  quite  a  good  deal,  con- 
sidering their  inexperience  and  the  short 
time  they  have  been  in  this  world.  It  is 
greatly  for  their  good  and  that  of  the 
mother,  too,  to  allow  the  children  to  do  a 
little  thinking  of  their  own,  and  occasion- 
ally to  abide  by  their  judgment  in  certain 
matters.  We  really  have  no  right  to  arbi- 


"MANAGING"  T'H£  CHILD          101 

trarily  insist  on  doing  all  their  thinking  for 
them,  without  considering  that  the  child 
has  any  judgment  or  right  in  the  matter. 
These  little  men  and  women  have  prefer- 
ences, likes,  and  dislikes  much  the  same 
as  adults.  No  one  wants  to  have  his 
wishes  entirely  ignored ;  neither  does 
one  like  to  be  made  to  do  things  which 
are  distasteful,  without  apparent  rea- 
son. 

For  instance,  one  of  the  dearest  chil- 
dren I  have  ever  had  anything  to  do  with 
was  subjected  to  almost  inhuman  treat- 
ment, and  by  a  mother  who  was  unusually 
devoted  and  full  of  maternal  love.  She 
made  the  very  grievous  mistake  of  forcing 
the  result  of  her  own  conclusions  upon  the 
child  without  first  carefully  studying  the 
child's  temperament  and  intelligence  re- 
garding her  own  personal  and  physical 
requirements.  The  little  girl,  while  ap- 
parently in  perfect  health,  was  unusually 
dainty  and  refined  in  all  her  tastes  and 
habits,  and  her  appetite  was  in  keeping 
with  these  traits;  but  because  she  did  not 
eat  as  much  food  as  a  husky  boy  the 
mother  imagined  the  child  was  starving, 


102  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

notwithstanding  she   thrived  as  well  as 
the  average  child  of  her  age. 

In  her  quiet  way  she  was  a  perfectly 
happy  and  contented  child.  Most  mothers 
would  have  been  satisfied  with  this  state 
of  affairs,  but  this  one  was  not.  She  was 
foolish  enough  to  imagine  that  stuffing  the 
child  at  meal-times  would  bring  about 
more  satisfactory  progress,  so  the  quantity 
of  food  at  each  meal-time  was  largely  in- 
creased, and  every  effort  was  made  to  coax 
or  force  the  child  to  eat  it.  Naturally,  one 
so  dainty  rebelled  at  such  vulgar  portions, 
much  of  which  was  entirely  unsuitable  for 
the  stomach  of  a  child  not  yet  twenty 
months  old.  The  appetite  failed.  Then 
the  times  of  giving  food  were  made  more 
frequent,  and  food  was  offered  between 
meals,  at  all  hours  of  the  day  and  night. 
The  mother  became  nearly  frantic,  but 
the  more  she  persevered  and  urged  food 
upon  the  child  the  more  the  child  resisted. 
When  danger  of  starvation  arose  the  food 
was  put  into  the  stomach  by  means  of  a 
feeding-tube;  this  performance  required 
the  services  of  three  adults,  two  to  hold  the 
child  and  one  to  insert  the  tube.  Matters 


"MANAGING"  THE  CHILD          103 

now  began  to  assume  a  serious  aspect,  for 
the  appearance  of  any  one  with  a  cup  or 
spoon  excited  the  child  to  the  verge  of 
convulsions. 

Several  doctors  were  called  in  to  try 
and  untangle  this  serious  state  of  affairs. 
One  doctor,  braving  all  possible  displeasure 
that  the  family  might  display,  promptly 
made  the  unique  diagnosis  of  "Too  much 
mother,"  and  prescribed  a  rational  course 
of  treatment  which  consisted  of  three  sim- 
ple meals  a  day.  If  the  child  refused  one 
or  two,  or  even  three,  of  these  meals  she 
was  to  be  allowed  to  go  without  them. 
Nothing  was  to  be  given  between  meals; 
she  was  not  to  be  coaxed  or  even  noticed 
at  such  times.  As  she  was  fairly  able  to 
help  herself,  the  child  was  placed  at  a  low 
table  and  the  food  placed  on  it;  then  she 
was  left  alone.  No  one  was  allowed  to 
stay  in  the  room.  Of  course,  the  mother 
at  first  objected  to  this  treatment,  as  she 
was  sure  the  child  would  rather  starve 
than  eat,  and  that  some  coaxing  was  abso- 
lutely necessary;  however,  she  finally  con- 
sented to  allow  a  trial  to  be  made,  and, 
much  to  her  surprise,  on  peeping  into  the 
8 


104  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

room  fifteen  minutes  after  the  food  had 
been  left  with  the  child  she  found  that  it 
had  entirely  disappeared.  The  child  was 
then,  by  the  doctor's  orders,  placed  in  the 
care  of  one  person;  she  kept  very  quiet, 
and  all  amusement  was  banished  in  order 
that  she  might  have  a  complete  rest  to  help 
overcome  the  great  nervous  strain  the  poor 
little  thing  'had  undergone  during  this 
struggle.  She  was  left  alone  to  do  as  she 
pleased  with  her  food,  to  eat  as  little  or  as 
much  as  she  chose.  It  was  not  long  be- 
fore nature  asserted  itself,  reaction  set 
in,  and  the  rapidly  vanishing  pounds  were 
regained. 

There  is  little  doubt  that  during  this 
struggle  there  was  a  large  element  of 
stubbornness  on  the  part  of  the  child,  prob- 
ably slight  at  first  at  being  disturbed  in 
the  peaceful  tenor  of  her  meals,  and  in- 
creasing in  force  as  she  met  an  equally 
stubborn  resistance  on  the  part  of  the 
mother.  This  struggle  kept  on  until  it 
reached  a  point  beyond  the  child's  con- 
trol. At  this  point  no  amount  of  reason- 
ing, coaxing,  or  even  force  would  cause 
her  to  give  in,  and  the  only  hope  of  con- 


"MANAGING"  THE  CHILD          105 

trolling  the  child  and  probably  of  saving 
her  life  was  the  method  which  was  advised 
by  the  doctor. 

Now  this  whole  proceeding  from  begin- 
ning to  end  was  unnecessary.  Young  as 
the  child  was,  she  was  old  enough  to  know 
her  limitations  in  this  matter,  and  she 
should  have  been  left  alone.  If  in  her 
immature  way  she  had  fretted,  cried,  or 
shown  any  discontent  with  her  lot,  then 
there  would  have  been  some  reason  for 
the  mother  to  interfere,  and  with  her 
mature  experience  endeavor  to  right  mat- 
ters for  the  child.  As  it  was,  her  inter- 
ference with  a  perfectly  contented  little 
human  being  was  unjustifiable. 

How  many  times,  I  wonder,  does  the 
average  mother  prevaricate  to  her  child 
in  the  course  of  a  day  ?  If  she  kept  a  care- 
ful watch  on  herself  I  think  she  would  be 
surprised,  if  not  ashamed,  at  the  number 
of  fibs,  untruths,  or  lies  (no  matter  by 
what  name  you  may  call  them,  they  are 
all  the  same)  that  have  slipped  from  her 
tongue,  most  of  them  perhaps  uncon- 
sciously. As  a  result  of  this  deplorable 
habit  we  find  a  great  many  children  whose 


106  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

confidence  in  their  parents'  word  is  de- 
cidedly shaky.  While  they  have  no  faith 
in  promises  made,  there  is  at  the  same  time 
a  kind  of  nervous  expectancy  and  wild 
hope  that  by  some  chance  they  may  be 
kept.  Truthfulness  in  children  is  not  an 
overstrong  habit,  chiefly  due  to  the 
example  set  by  their  elders.  There  is 
nothing  to  be  gained,  and  a  great  deal  to 
be  lost,  in  deceiving  a  little  child.  It  is 
very  unnecessary.  If  you  would  have  your 
children  perfectly  honest,  straightforward, 
and  truthful  with  you,  be  the  same  with 
them. 


IX 

HEREDITY   AND   ENVIRONMENT 

THERE  are  few  things  more  conducive 
to  disobedience  and  stubbornness  in 
children  than  the  constant  use  of  the 
words  "no"  and  "don't."  The  mother 
should  hesitate  more  than  once  before  say- 
ing them.  Listen  patiently  to  a  little  one's 
request  before  saying  "no,"  no  matter 
how  trivial  it  may  seem  to  you.  It  may 
mean  much  to  him.  If  the  request  is 
reasonable,  even  though  it  may  cause  you 
some  little  inconvenience,  try  to  grant  it. 
If,  however,  saying  "yes"  to  the  child  is 
going  to  cause  a  great  deal  of  discomfort 
to  some  one  else,  if  it  is  not  for  the  child's 
good,  or  if  after  deliberation  what  is  asked 
seems  wrong  in  your  judgment,  give  the 
child  a  short  but  intelligent  reason  for  a 
denial,  then  let  no  amount  of  teasing 


io8  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

change  your  decision.  It  is  not  necessary 
to  be  stern  in  this  matter,  but  firm,  and 
the  child  will  soon  learn  to  accept  your 
judgment  without  fretting,  satisfied  in  the 
feeling  that  you  know  best.  Always  think 
twice  before  saying  "no,"  but  once  said, 
stick  to  it;  do  not  retreat. 

The  word  "don't"  is  another  bugbear 
word  to  children.  It  is  a  small  word  and 
slips  out  so  easily  that  often  it  is  used 
twenty  times  where  it  should  be  used  but 
once;  the  consequence  being  that  two- 
thirds  of  the  time  when  this  word  is  used 
the  child  knows  it  is  not  more  than  half 
meant.  As  a  consequence  the  command 
is  not  heeded  by  the  child,  and  small  acts 
of  disobedience  constantly  result  which 
are  overlooked  by  the  mother.  There  will 
surely  come  a  time  when  some  act  of  fla- 
grant disobedience  takes  place  which  can- 
not well  be  disregarded,  and  the  punish- 
ment which  follows  is  almost  always  looked 
upon  by  the  child  as  unfair.  And  he  is 
right.  It  is  the  fault  of  the  parent,  who 
has  overlooked  small  discrepancies  and  al- 
lowed the  child  to  work  up  to  this  unpleas- 
ant climax.  If  the  child  .dares,  he  rebels 


HEREDITY  AND  ENVIRONMENT    109 

openly  at  his  punishment;  if  not,  he 
broods  over  it  in  silence.  Either  way,  one 
may  be  assured  that  there  is  considerable 
bitter  feeling  on  one  side  or  the  other, 
which  is  not  conducive  to  friendly  relations. 

The  habit  of  threatening  is  another  bad 
element  in  the  training  of  children;  unless 
threats  are  meant,  the  mother  has  nothing 
to  gain  in  using  them,  and  she  loses  much 
of  the  respect  of  her  child.  In  a  remark- 
ably short  time  he  learns  that  the  mother's 
threats  are  mere  words,  that  they  mean 
nothing;  so  he  continues  to  do  exactly  as 
he  pleases  in  spite  of  them,  while  the 
mother  sighs  and  wonders  why  her  child 
is  so  disobedient. 

I  heard  recently  of  a  mother  who  told 
her  little  girl  to  change  her  shoes  before 
going  to  drive.  The  child  fretted  and 
whined,  and,  while  she  did  not  positively 
refuse,  neither  did  she  make  any  effort  tow- 
ard obeying  the  mother's  request.  After 
ten  or  fifteen  minutes  of  unpleasant  skir- 
mishing between  mother  and  child  came  the 
threat,  "Very  well,  then;  you  shall  not  go 
to  drive  with  me  unless  your  shoes  are 
changed."  At  this  the  little  girl  made  a 


no  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

sudden  run  for  the  hall,  then,  slowly  edg- 
ing her  way  sidewise  down  the  stairs,  kept 
calling  back:  "I'm  going  to  get  in  the  car- 
riage. I'm  going  to  get  in  the  carriage." 
She  kept  this  up  until  she  reached  the  door, 
then  darted  out  and  did  get  into  the  car- 
riage. The  mother  meanwhile  was  help- 
lessly exclaiming:  "What  is  there  to  be 
done  with  such  a  disobedient  child?  I 
know  I  ought  to  bring  her  right  back  and 
insist  upon  her  minding  me,  and  really 
she  should  have  a  good  spanking ;  but  if  I 
attempt  to  bring  her  back  she  will  scream 
and  kick,  so  I  suppose  I  must  give  in 
rather  than  have  a  scene."  When  the 
mother  went  out  this  prematurely  wise 
little  girl  greeted  her  with  the  sweetest 
smile  and  these  words:  "You  did  not 
mean  a  word  of  what  you  said,  did  you, 
mother?  I  knew  it."  And  with  a  know- 
ing twinkle  in  her  eye  she  added,  "If  you 
really  want  me  to,  I'll  change  my  shoes 
next  time." 

The  mother,  who  but  a  moment  ago  was 
distressed  and  mortified  at  the  disobedi- 
ence of  her  little  girl,  now  laughed  and 
thought  her  remarkably  clever,  and  so  she 


HEREDITY  AND  ENVIRONMENT  in 

was.  All  the  greater  is  the  pity  that  a 
child  naturally  so  bright  and  really  lovable 
should  not  have  her  rare  talents  developed 
by  judicious  management. 

Many  mothers,  by  the  circumstances  of 
their  lives,  are  obliged  to  be  constantly 
with  their  children.  A  mother  who  has  no 
one  to  relieve  her  in  the  care  of  her  baby 
or  family  of  little  ones  naturally  has  to  be 
with  them  a  large  portion  of  the  time,  and 
there  is  no  doubt  that  at  times  her  cares 
press  very  heavily.  By  this  constant  care 
and  association  her  children  should  be 
trained  to  be  such  a  comfort  and  joy  that 
any  trouble  they  may  cause  seems  worth 
while. 

In  the  first  place,  establish  a  system 
which  will  help  you  much  in  the  care  of 
your  baby  and  little  ones.  Have  a  regular 
time  for  rising,  bath,  meals,  airing,  bed- 
time, etc.  There  is  no  reason,  if  the  child 
wakes  up  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning 
and  wants  amusement,  that  the  tired 
mother  should  give  up  those  early  hours 
of  sleep,  which  are  the  sweetest  and  oft- 
times  the  most  beneficial  to  her,  just  be- 
cause the  children  want  her  to.  The 


ii2  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

younger  the  baby  the  easier  it  is  to  teach 
him  to  sleep  at  the  proper  time;  children 
of  two,  three,  four  years  and  older  have 
most  active  brains,  and  if  they  awake 
early  do  not  %o  to  sleep  again  as  easily  as 
a  baby.  They  want  a  frolic  or  they  cry 
lustily  for  attention  and  amusement ;  they 
want  to  get  up;  they  want  a  drink;  they 
want  a  cracker  or  something  to  eat,  or  they 
want  to  crawl  into  mother's  bed  to  cuddle, 
play,  tease,  or  fret.  If  the  mother  allows 
this  sort  of  thing  she  establishes  a  bad 
precedent;  the  children  soon  learn  to  im- 
pose upon  her.  This  creates  a  certain 
selfish  lack  of  consideration,  which  in- 
creases as  the  child  grows  older.  One  de- 
mand after  another  is  made  during  the  day, 
most  of  them  useless.  They  do  not  help 
or  benefit  the  child  in  the  slightest  degree, 
nor  give  him  any  real  pleasure,  while  they 
sap  the  strength,  health,  and  patience  of 
the  young  mother,  especially  when  her 
daily  cares  commence  several  hours  earlier 
in  the  morning  than  they  normally  should. 
This  is  altogether  wrong;  the  mother 
should  not  allow  herself  to  become  a  slave 
to  her  young  children.  If  the  unnecessary 


HEREDITY  AND  ENVIRONMENT    113 

desires  of  the  children  are  not  gratified, 
they  grow  up  to  expect  only  that  which  is 
beneficial,  and  they  are  far  better  satisfied 
with  what  is  given  them,  and  much  hap- 
pier. They  naturally  learn  to  respect 
their  mother's  need  of  rest  in  these  early 
hours  of  the  day,  and  know  that  they  are 
not  to  make  demands  other  than  those  of 
absolute  necessity.  If  properly  trained, 
they  will  be  perfectly  contented  to  lie 
quietly  in  bed  or  go  to  sleep  again. 

With  a  family  of  several  children,  teach 
them  at  an  early  age  to  be  useful  in  helping 
themselves  and  others.  Children  of  four 
and  five  can  be  taught  to  dress  themselves 
quite  neatly,  and  even  a  younger  child  can 
be  taught  to  put  on  most  of  his  garments 
with  little  assistance;  while  the  mother  is 
bathing  the  baby  the  other  children,  even 
though  not  more  than  two  or  three  years 
old,  can  be  very  useful  in  handing  her 
things.  Be  careful  never  to  make  little 
duties  tedious  or  obligatory  tasks  to  the 
child — rather  a  privilege;  for  if  forced 
these  little  duties  become  hard  work,  and 
the  child  will  look  upon  them  as  drudgery. 
Children  can  be  taught  to  dress  themselves 


ii4  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

at  an  early  age.  First  teach  the  child  to 
put  on  one  single  garment,  then  another, 
and  by  encouragement  and  judicious  praise 
you  will  stimulate  his  ambition,  so  that  in 
a  short  time  he  will  be  able  to  dress  him- 
self neatly  and  be  proud  of  his  accomplish- 
ments. Then  teach  him  to  help  a  younger 
brother  or  sister.  In  teaching  a  child  to 
help  himself  at  an  early  age  you  teach  him 
not  only  to  use  his  hands  dexterously,  but 
to  be  skilful  in  many  ways. 

There  will  come  a  time  occasionally  when 
the  child  will  dally  and  fret  over  dressing 
himself,  perhaps  even  rebel.  When  this 
occurs  do  not  give  in  and  perform  the  task 
for  him;  if  possible,  avert  these  little  spells 
of  revolt  on  the  part  of  the  child,  draw 
his  attention  to  something  else,  preferably 
to  some  portion  of  the  clothing  which  is 
giving  him  so  much  unhappiness.  If  a 
stubborn  button  is  causing  trouble,  with  a 
pencil  mark  on  it  two  eyes,  a  nose,  and 
mouth  with  the  corners  turning  upward, 
and  see  how  hard  he  will  work  to  get  the 
laughing  button  through  the  hole;  or  in- 
vent some  little  game  by  which  getting 
into  the  clothes  quickly  is  part  of  the 


HEREDITY  AND  ENVIRONMENT    115 

game.  There  are  dozens  of  ways  which 
any  mother  with  an  inventive  mind  can 
bring  into  play  to  divert  the  child. 

I  do  not  advise  the  offering  of  rewards 
for  the  performance  of  these  childish 
duties;  I  would  rather  surprise  the  child 
occasionally  with  a  treat  of  some  kind, 
something,  if  possible,  for  which  he  has 
expressed  a  desire,  letting  him  know  at 
this  time  that  you  appreciate  his  little 
endeavors.  I  have  known  children  whom 
a  good  hug  and  a  kiss  and  a  few  words  of 
well-earned  praise  from  the  mother  would 
please  as  much  as  a  handsome  gift.  Their 
appreciation  was  shown  by  the  cheerful 
and  happy  manner  with  which  they  re- 
newed their  efforts  to  be  helpful  and  to 
please.  Continual  flattery  or  hiring  chil- 
dren to  do  the  things  you  wish  them  to  do 
may  bring  about  some  results,  but  it  is 
not  the  best  method  to  pursue.  The  re- 
sponse on  the  part  of  the  child  is  not  made 
of  its  own  free  will.  Flattery  breeds  self- 
love,  conceit,  and  self -consciousness ;  hir- 
ing a  child  to  perform  a  duty  encourages 
selfishness  and  meanness.  In  either  case 
the  child  is  not  helped. 


n6  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

In  striving  to  teach  a  child  to  be  helpful 
always  remember  that  his  powers  of  en- 
durance are  not  overstrong,  and,  as  I  re- 
marked before,  do  not  tax  his  patience  or 
strength  too  far.  Never  let  these  little 
duties  which  are  now  being  cheerfully  per- 
formed become  a  burden;  do  not  deprive 
them  of  a  much-desired  pleasure  in  order 
that  they  may  perform  some  slight  task. 
Either  let  it  be  omitted  for  once  or  arrange 
for  its  performance  at  a  time  when  it  will 
not  interfere  with  pleasure.  Never  allow 
an  older  child  to  become  the  caretaker  of 
little  brothers  and  sisters;  it  is  one  of  the 
meanest  impositions  which  can  be  thrust 
upon  a  child,  and  absolutely  unfair.  It  is 
really  a  form  of  slavery,  and  it  is  tolerated 
by  the  child  only  because  he  is  powerless 
to  help  himself.  In  families  where  the 
mother  has  most  of  the  family  burdens  to 
bear  I  think  the  older  children  can  be  made 
useful  as  the  mother's  helpers.  But  this 
usefulness  should  never  be  carried  to  the 
point  of  drudgery  nor  urged  when  it  causes 
the  child  to  be  robbed  of  the  time  which 
justly  belongs  to  him  for  leisure  and  rec- 
reation. 


HEREDITY  AND  ENVIRONMENT    117 

Any  mother  overburdened  with  family 
duties  or  domestic  cares  can  lighten  her 
burdens  very  materially  and  take  untold 
comfort  with  her  family  of  little  ones  if 
she  guides  them  judiciously  and  lets  each 
one  have,  more  as  a  privilege  than  a  duty, 
his  or  her  little  share  of  each  day's  work. 
It  would  probably  enable  the  mother  to 
find  among  her  own  busy  hours  one  that 
she  can  give  entirely  to  her  children  as 
part  of  their  share  of  the  busy  day.  It 
will  be  an  hour  of  pleasure  and  recreation 
to  her,  too. 

I  believe  that  training  or  guiding  of  the 
right  sort  is  as  important  as  heredity  and 
environment  in  influencing  the  characters 
of  children.  While  these  two  subjects  have 
been  widely  discussed  and  argued,  and  the 
former  is  most  generally  supposed  to  be 
the  stronger  influence  of  the  two,  I  would 
not  depend  too  much  on  either  when  not 
influenced  by  early  training.  That  strong 
family  characteristics  or  traits  are  shown 
through  generations  or  at  times  crop  out 
most  unexpectedly  in  remote  branches  of 
a  family  cannot  be  denied. 

Environment,  too,  is  a  strong  factor  in 


n8  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

molding  character.  And  yet  I  know  of 
many  children  who  have  had  the  advan- 
tage of  an  unquestionably  good  family 
history,  whose  environment  was  most  re- 
fined and  cultivated,  which  combination 
of  conditions  ought  to  be  perfect,  who  yet, 
through  petting  and  humoring,  were  spoiled. 
Both  heredity  and  environment  have  come 
to  naught  as  far  as  the  formation  of  char- 
acter is  concerned.  These  children  have 
in  many  instances  been  quite  unmanage- 
able, and  frequently  have  shown  traits  of 
viciousness  totally  unexpected  in  the  off- 
spring of  so-called  blue  blood.  On  the 
other  hand,  I  have  known  children  of 
humble  origin,  when  transplanted  to  a 
higher  plane  of  living,  to  respond  to  new 
conditions  in  a  remarkably  short  time ;  but 
if  such  children,  after  being  humored 
and  spoiled,  developed  numerous  failings 
and  shortcomings  these  would  undoubtedly 
be  laid  at  the  door  of  heredity,  which 
probably  played  a  very  small  part  in  the 
matter.  If  a  number  of  very  young  children 
were  taken  from  different  stations  in  life, 
with  a  hereditary  history  good,  bad,  or 
indifferent,  and  each  were  given  equal  ad- 


HEREDITY  AND  ENVIRONMENT    119 

vantages  as  to  training,  surroundings,  edu- 
cation, etc.,  I  believe  that  one  class  would 
respond  as  quickly  and  as  well  as  the  other. 
If  they  were  all  equally  subjected  to  in- 
fluences more  or  less  demoralizing  I  think 
they  would  either  withstand  or  succumb 
to  the  influence  in  an  equal  degree, 
9 


X 

THE   QUESTION   OF   PUNISHMENT 

A  FEW  years  ago  a  child  was  placed 
in  the  Babies'  Hospital  whose  family 
history  could  not  have  been  much  worse 
than  it  was.  The  parents,  Russians  of  a 
low  type,  had  lived  a  tramp  life  and  had 
wandered  over  almost  every  country  of 
the  globe;  they  earned  their  living  by  the 
most  convenient  methods,  without  regard 
to  ethical  principles.  The  father  died  in 
Brazil,  where  this  child  was  born.  He  was 
about  a  year  and  a  half  old  when  placed 
under  our  care,  and  as  far  as  looks  and 
actions  were  concerned  was  a  decidedly 
unpromising  subject ;  in  fact,  several  stran- 
gers who  saw  the  boy  remarked  that  they 
had  never  before  seen  "criminal"  so  plain- 
ly marked  on  a  face  as  on  this  little  boy's. 
His  physical  ailments  were  due  partly  to 
exposure  and  partly  to  neglect ;  surely,  as 


THE  QUESTION  OF  PUNISHMENT  121 

far  as  heredity  was  concerned  it  seemed  as 
though  the  child  were  doomed.  He  was 
actually  vicious.  He  slapped,  pinched, 
scratched  the  other  children  without  provo- 
cation. At  meal-time,  after  satisfying  his 
own  hunger,  he  would  grab  the  food  from 
the  others,  or  with  one  or  two  sweeps 
of  his  small  arms  shove  the  food  from  the 
low  table  to  the  floor,  and  then  would  either 
step  on  it  or,  lying  flat  on  his  stomach, 
gather  it  under  him  in  order  to  deprive 
the  others.  He  was  only  a  toddler,  just 
managing  to  get  about  the  room,  still  all 
the  other  children  stood  in  mortal  terror 
of  him,  and  he  had  to  be  watched  very  care- 
fully, for,  young  as  he  was,  he  was  capable 
of  doing  much  real  harm.  A  more  de- 
praved and  unattractive  child  one  could 
not  well  imagine. 

A  few  days'  experience  with  this  minia- 
ture cyclone  turned  loose  in  our  nursery 
made  it  seem  justifiable  to  send  him  away, 
but,  alas!  when  an  attempt  was  made  to 
find  the  mother  she  had  vanished  without 
a  trace;  so  perforce  we  decided  to  try 
to  overcome  the  moral  as  well  as  the  physi- 
cal ills  of  this  child  as  best  we  could.  A 


122  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

careful  eye  was  kept  on  him  to  keep  him 
from  doing  harm,  and  whenever  he  started 
out  on  his  little  journeys  of  lawlessness 
and  mischief  he  was  not  forcibly  restrained, 
but  his  attention  was  diverted  in  some 
pleasant  way  from  his  wrong  intentions. 
The  attendants  were  not  allowed,  by  word, 
look,  or  action,  ever  to  be  hasty  or  unkind ; 
coercion  in  any  form  or  under  any  circum- 
stances was  to  be  avoided. 

In  a  surprisingly  short  time  this  child 
began  to  yield  to  the  influence  which  sur- 
rounded him;  one  by  one  his  little  vicious 
tricks  or  habits  were  forgotten,  and  an  oc- 
casional smile — a  sweet  one  it  was,  too — 
began  to  reward  our  efforts  instead  of  the 
snarls  and  frowns  which  had  hitherto 
greeted  us.  Absolute  cleanliness  and  regu- 
lar habits  were  instituted  as  a  part  of  the 
cure.  Every  morning  at  a  regular  hour 
his  bath  was  given,  then  he  was  attired  in 
the  cleanest  of  clothes.  The  finest  and 
most  attractive  was  laid  out  for  him ;  con- 
sequently cleanliness  before  long  became 
an  established  habit.  A  spot  of  dirt  on 
hands  or  frock  was  a  matter  of  discomfort 
until  removed. 


THE  QUESTION  OF  PUNISHMENT   123 

For  nearly  five  years  it  was  my  good  for- 
tune to  be  able  to  keep  this  boy  with  me, 
and  a  more  attractive,  happy,  and  lovable 
child  it  would  be  hard  to  find  anywhere. 
He  was  absolutely  obedient;  in  fact,  it 
never  seemed  to  occur  to  him  to  be  other- 
wise. He  was  neat  and  orderly  in  all  his 
habits;  no  little  detail  of  his  toilet  was 
ever  forgotten  by  him.  In  the  course  of 
time  our  little  charge  not  only  grew  to  be 
the  oldest  inhabitant,  but  the  oldest  in 
point  of  age,  and  as  new  little  ones  came 
and  went  his  attitude  toward  them  was 
lovely.  He  looked  well  after  the  needs  of 
the  tiny  ones  and  took  great  pains  to 
initiate  the  older  ones  into  orderly  and 
careful  habits.  He  shared  with  them, 
without  a  thought  of  selfishness,  toys, 
books,  or  dainties.  Surely  heredity  did 
not  endow  this  child  with  all  his  good 
qualities;  they  were  cultivated  at  an  early 
age,  and  so  deeply  rooted  were  these  good 
habits  that  they  are  likely  to  remain  with 
him  through  life. 

Too  much  attention  is  paid  to  faults  of 
children,  both  young  and  old,  especially 
minor  faults.  I  do  not  mean  to  imply 


124  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

that  small  faults  should  be  entirely  over- 
looked or  allowed  to  persist,  but  to  be  con- 
tinually alluding  to  faults,  to  keep  them 
constantly  before  the  children,  makes 
them  more  and  more  familiar  with  their 
own  shortcomings.  Their  offenses  grow  to 
seem  less  grave  with  familiarity,  and  the 
impulse  to  indulge  in  them  becomes  cor- 
respondingly stronger.  While  the  child 
is  very  young  and  you  see  these  small 
faults  cropping  out  one  by  one,  try  to  pre- 
vent their  becoming  fixtures  by  diverting 
the  mind  from  any  inclination  to  indulge 
in  them. 

Not  infrequently  the  faults  most  glaring 
in  the  children  are  those  transmitted  by 
heredity  through  the  parents;  in  order  to 
overcome  this  tendency  the  parents  should 
look  to  themselves  for  the  cure.  Many 
undesirable  traits  which  the  parents  them- 
selves possess  but  which  they  do  not  care 
to  have  their  children  develop  should  be 
most  carefully  guarded  against  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  children,  as  there  is  no  doubt 
that  the  hereditary  tendency  is  fostered 
by  example.  It  is  not  so  strong,  however, 
but  that  under  proper  treatment  and  con- 


THE  QUESTION  OF  PUNISHMENT  125 

ditions  its  influence  can  be  made  very 
much  weaker  if  not  entirely  eradicted.  It 
is  strange  how  small  the  faults  of  adults 
seem  to  themselves,  but  how  disagreeable 
they  find  these  same  traits  in  a  child. 

Sometimes  children  acquire  undesirable 
traits  or  habits  from  companions.  The 
habit  of  imitation  is  not  only  strong  in  chil- 
dren, but  is  a  very  strong  element  in  all 
human  nature.  If  the  child's  companions 
are  particularly  disagreeable  or  harmful, 
it  is  well  to  keep  them  apart,  but  under 
ordinary  circumstances  the  best  policy  to 
pursue  is  to  point  out  to  the  child  that  this 
or  that  particular  fault  which  he  is  ac- 
quiring is  unpleasant,  or,  if  necessary  Center 
into  mild  argument  with  the  child.  I  have 
found  most  children  amenable  to  reason 
if  it  is  put  in  a  clear,  simple,  logical  manner 
to  them.  While  one  would  not  advocate 
associates  of  a  questionable  character  for 
a  child,  still  it  is  not  altogether  a  bad  thing 
for  a  child  to  encounter  some  of  the  faults 
or  peculiarities  of  other  children.  If  there 
is  a  temptation  to  acquire  undesirable 
qualities,  the  reasoning  of  an  older  and 
wiser  head  usually  has  its  effect;  this 


126  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

teaches  the  child  to  think  out  little  prob- 
lems for  himself  and  to  reason  intelli- 
gently. It  also  cultivates  in  the  child 
powers  of  discrimination.  It  is  well  to 
have  these  little  gifts  take  root  early;  they 
strengthen  with  time  and  help  the  child 
later  to  resist  many  of  the  temptations  he 
is  sure  to  meet. 

Recently  a  mother  wrote  and  asked  me 
how  to  govern  an  incorrigible  boy  of 
twelve  years.  She  said  whipping  did  no 
good;  she  had  tried  it  again  and  again. 
The  only  effect  it  had  was  to  make  the  boy 
more  sullen  and  wilful.  From  what  the 
mother  wrote  there  was  no  doubt  that  the 
boy  was  bad  and  exceedingly  difficult  to 
manage.  Notwithstanding  this,  somehow 
one's  sympathies  could  not  but  be  with 
the  child.  Think  of  the  humility  it  must 
have  caused  a  boy  of  twelve  to  be  whipped 
by  his  mother,  and  from  the  resistance  the 
boy  showed  the  affair  could  hardly  have 
been  dignified  by  the  name  of  whipping. 
The  whole  principle  was  wrong  from  be- 
ginning to  end;  this  mother  had  probably 
from  the  child's  infancy  resorted  to  spank- 
ing as  the  only  method  of  enforcing  obedi- 


THE  QUESTION  OF  PUNISHMENT  127 

ence  or  as  a  means  of  punishing  misde- 
meanors, and  as  the  child  grew  older  these 
harsh,  not  to  say  brutal,  methods  began  to 
show  their  effects  in  the  boy's  nature. 
Real  affection  for  the  mother,  who  ruled  by 
force  rather  than  kindness,  had  probably 
by  degrees  grown  less  and  less  until  there 
was  no  bond  of  sympathy  between  them. 
How  could  there  be  under  these  condi- 
tions? The  boy  had  become  lax  if  not 
entirely  lacking  in  the  respect  which  a 
child  should  have  for  his  parent. 

Of  course  there  are  exceptions  to  every 
rule,  or  at  least  tradition  says  so.  I  know 
there  are  some  mothers  who  declare  that 
their  children  "just  ache  for  a  spanking 
once  in  so  often."  They  say  that  the  chil- 
dren really  seem  to  take  a  righteous  delight 
in  meriting  it,  and  after  the  administration 
of  such  are  transformed  into  little  models 
of  perfection.  They  remain  in  this  highly 
beatific  state  for  a  certain  length  of  time; 
then  down  they  come  with  a  tumble  to 
grovel  in  naughtiness  until  they  have  well 
earned  another  spanking. 

The  mother  of  one  of  these  irrepressibly 
active  young  cherubs,  while  morally  con- 


128  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

vinced  that  an  occasional  spanking  was  the 
one  thing  her  mischievous  young  offspring 
craved,  in  fact  almost  begged  for,  had  mis- 
givings as  to  the  wisdom  of  this  method, 
and  after  some  deliberation  decided  to  em- 
ploy other  means  to  correct  her  child.  So 
when  innocent  fun  changed  its  aspect  and 
became  unmistakable  naughtiness,  little 
1  'Mr.  Man"  was  marched  to  a  corner  of 
the  room  and  was  left  to  weep,  reason,  and 
repent  over  his  misdeeds.  This  new  man- 
ner of  punishment  went  well  for  a  while, 
and  the  mother  was  delighted  with  the 
change;  in  fact,  she  found  it  so  simple  and 
easy  a  remedy  for  all  shortcomings  on  the 
part  of  the  child  that  he  was  really  called 
to  task  and  punished  far  more  often  than 
was  actually  necessary.. 

But  these  children  whose  mothers  think 
they  actually  enjoy  spanking  are  usually 
inclined  to  be  rather  bright,  and  this  boy 
was  no  exception.  These  moments  of 
meditation  spent  in  the  corner  were  not 
lost  time  with  him  by  any  means,  as  will 
be  shown.  It  soon  came  to  pass  that  the 
child  did  not  wait  for  his  mother  to  inflict 
punishment  for  wrong-doing,  but  whenever 


THE  QUESTION  OF  PUNISHMENT  129 

he  perpetrated  some  mischief  which  he 
felt  his  mother  would  not  approve  he  would 
straightway  march  into  his  little  corner 
and  loudly  bawl.  While  the  crying  at- 
tracted the  mother  at  once,  it  did  not 
always  at  once  disclose  the  cause  of  the 
self-inflicted  punishment.  Sometimes  the 
mischief  was  quickly  found,  but  more  often 
considerable  time  was  lost  in  seeking  its 
cause,  and  it  was  to  the  child's  interest. 
It  was  one  of  these  longer  than  usual  voy- 
ages of  discovery  which  made  the  young- 
ster forget  his  part  in  the  game  and  brought 
him  to  grief.  As  all  signs  of  audible  grief 
had  ceased,  the  mother  turned  quickly  to 
find  the  little  face  out  of  its  hiding-place 
and  full  of  interest.  There  was  a  decidedly 
mischievous  twinkle  of  the  black  eyes;  it 
is  needless  to  remark  that  the  mother  de- 
cided on  the  spot  to  go  back  to  first 
principles. 

Notwithstanding  this  mother's  experi- 
ence, and  the  assertions  of  many  others 
who  really  love  their  children,  but  still 
declare  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  resort 
to  occasional  spankings  to  keep  them  with- 
in bounds,  I  do  not  believe  it  necessary  at 


130  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

all.  There  are  many  other  modes  of 
punishment  less  harsh  and  quite  as  effect- 
ual by  which  a  child  can  be  governed.  The 
corner  punishment  for  the  little  boy  an- 
swered the  purpose  very  well  until  the 
mother  found  it  so  easy  and  convenient  a 
one  that  he  was  hustled  there  on  the 
slightest  provocation,  and  much  more 
often  than  was  necessary.  Don't  be  too 
hard  on  the  children ;  remember  that  there 
is  some  of  the  traditional  "old  Adam  "in 
most  of  them,  and  with  this  impulse  strong 
in  them,  with  powers  of  judgment  still  un- 
developed or  uncultivated,  a  child  will 
many  times  innocently  walk  right  into 
mischief  and  wrong-doing  without  being 
conscious  that  he  is  not  doing  that  which 
is  right.  Don't  be  continually  on  the 
lookout  for  little  failings,  or  make  too 
much  of  little  wrongs  which  are  innocently 
committed;  don't  be  hasty  in  inflicting 
punishment  unless  you  are  sure  it  is  well 
merited.  Be  very  careful  also  not  to  mis- 
judge, as  nothing  hurts  with  a  more  last- 
ing hurt  than  injustice.  But  when  the 
time  comes  that  the  child  deliberately  and 
knowingly  does  wrong  do  not  overlook  it. 


THE  QUESTION  OF  PUNISHMENT  131 

Punish  the  child  and  do  it  promptly;  do 
not  delay  until  the  offense  has  grown  stale 
in  your  mind  or  has  been  forgotten  by  the 
child.  If  you  delay,  the  child  rarely  gets 
what  he  justly  deserves  and  feels  very 
much  grieved  at  what  he  does  receive. 

As  to  the  best  means  of  punishment  I 
should  hesitate  to  advise,  except  in  a  gen- 
eral way  to  strongly  disapprove  of  spank- 
ing and  whipping.  There  are  as  many  dif- 
ferent methods  of  punishment  as  there 
are  children  or  dispositions.  What  might 
prove  most  effectual  with  one  would  ut- 
terly fail  if  tried  with  another,  but  with 
most  children  a  simple  punishment,  if  em- 
ployed in  the  right  way,  is  usually  the  most 
effectual.  The  chief  point  is  in  assuming  a 
sober  and  earnest  manner.  Point  out  to  the 
child  wherein  he  has  erred,  make  him  feel 
that  a  wrong  act  is  a  serious  thing  never  to 
be  overlooked,  and,  while  the  punishment 
you  deem  best  to  inflict  may  be  a  very  light 
one,  it  should  be  made  a  very  solemn  and 
impressive  affair.  When  a  child  directly 
disobeys  its  parents  or  does  a  serious  wrong 
there  is  no  more  effectual  punishment  than 
for  either  mother  or  father  to  withdraw 


132  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

for  a  time  all  demonstration  of  affection; 
do  not  notice  the  child ;  in  fact,  completely 
ignore  its  presence.  This  kind  of  punish- 
ment will  be  found  more  effectual  than  any 
other  method  of  correcting.  It  is  a  pun- 
ishment which  is  not  often  courted  a  sec- 
ond time  by  children;  they  dread  a  repeti- 
tion of  such  disagreeable  feelings.  It  is, 
therefore,  a  punishment  that  ought  not  to 
be  resorted  to  too  often.  It  is  only  to  be 
used  in  case  of  grave  offense;  small  wrongs 
require  milder  correction. 


XI 

TEACHING   BABY  TO   WALK 

A 5  a  baby  goes  through  the  various  stages 
of  infantile  development,  the  first 
tooth,  the  first  word,  the  first  step  alone, 
are  in  the  eyes  of  fond  parents  marvelous 
feats  accomplished.  Waiting  for  the  first 
tooth  is  often  rather  tedious,  especially  if 
the  teething  period  is  somewhat  belated; 
but  as  the  teeth  will  come  through  in  their 
own  good  time,  and  the  parents  cannot, 
by  coaxing  or  other  effort,  force  them 
through  the  little  pink  gums,  they  have 
to  be.  content  and  let  them  come  as  they 
will.  The  first  word  or  the  first  cooing 
is  easily  translated  into  "Papa"  or  "Ma- 
ma," depending  entirely  as  to  which  parent 
happens  to  hear  the  first  delightful  little 
sound;  but  the  first  step  is  where  both 
parents,  admiring  relatives,  and  nurse  are 


134  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

all  only  too  willing  to  lend  a  helpful  hand 
to  assist  nature  and  the  baby  along. 

Most  children  are  naturally  ambitious 
to  progress.  Their  powers  of  mimicry  are 
keen,  and  they  are  eager  to  do  the  same 
things  they  see  their  elders  do.  They  will 
try  to  walk  just  as  soon  as  they  feel  that 
power  within  them  which  comes  from 
strength.  Surely  the  most  ambitious  par- 
ent is  not  more  proud  than  the  little  tot 
who  takes  his  first  step  alone;  with  feet 
firmly  placed  in  position,  body  bent  over, 
hands  before  him  on  the  floor,  first  he  lifts 
his  head  slowly  but  surely,  then  straight- 
ens his  little  body  up,  up,  little  by  little, 
until  he  finds  himself  in  an  upright  position ; 
to  be  sure,  a  little  uncertain  as  to  his 
equilibrium,  but  with  radiant  face  and  de- 
lighted chuckle  at  the  feat  he  has  accom- 
plished alone  and  unaided.  He  now  be- 
comes daring  enough  to  venture  to  take  a 
step  or  two  forward,  but  at  this  stage  is 
usually  so  overcome  with  delight  that  he 
loses  his  balance  and  rather  precipitately 
comes  down  to  the  floor  again.  He  is 
happy,  though,  for  he  has  taken  his  first 
step  toward  independent  action. 


TEACHING  BABY  TO  WALK         135 

The  method  of  teaching  children  to  walk 
by  allowing  them  to  choose  their  own  time 
and  means  of  doing  so  is  best  by  far,  for 
if  walking  is  forced  upon  the  child  by  am- 
bitious parents  or  attendants  the  results  are 
far  from  satisfactory,  and  often  the  cause 
of  a  deformity.  Bowed  legs  are  almost 
inevitably  the  result  of  urging  children  to 
stand  on  their  feet  before  the  bones  of  the 
legs  are  sufficiently  firm  to  bear  their 
weight.  While  they  are  in  a  soft  and  un- 
developed condition  they  naturally  bend 
a  little  beneath  the  weight,  and  repeated 
endeavors  to  make  the  child  use  his  legs 
and  feet  while  they  are  in  this  condition 
cause  the  curve  to  become  more  and  more 
pronounced,  and  as  the  child  grows  older 
and  the  bones  harden  the  deformity  be- 
comes fixed  and  permanent.  Sometimes 
the  bone  just  above  the  ankle  will  curve 
out  toward  the  instep;  this  straightens 
out  somewhat  as  the  child  grows  older, 
and  can  be  overcome  by  wearing  shoes 
made  especially  for  the  purpose;  but  the 
more  common  form  of  deformity  is  when 
the  bone  takes  an  outward  curve  between 

the  knee  and  the  ankle-joint  in  the  shape 
10 


i36  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

of  a  bow,  from  which  the  name  "bow  legs'* 
is  derived.  This  deformity  in  very  young 
children  is  sometimes  caused  by  wearing 
a  diaper  that  is  too  bulky,  but  at  that  age 
the  bones  are  so  soft  that  if  the  cause  is 
removed  the  legs  usually  right  themselves 
without  interference.  Round  shoulders 
are  also  apt  to  result  from  urging  chil- 
dren to  walk  too  early. 

When  one  attempts  to  assist  nature  it 
should  be  done  carefully  and  intelligently, 
and  by  natural  aid,  not  physical  force.  If 
a  child  is  backward  in  cutting  teeth  or 
walking  it  is  because  there  is  something 
lacking  in  his  system — something  which 
should  enter  into  the  composition  of  the 
bones  and  give  them  strength.  Assistance 
by  artificial  means  is  not  always  the  best 
or  most  effectual  way  to  obtain  results;  it 
is  far  better  to  try  to  find  what  kind  of 
food  nature  supplies  which  will  give  the 
most  nourishment  for  these  parts.  The 
majority  of  children  learn  to  walk  about 
the  twelfth  month,  some  do  not  walk  until 
much  later,  and  a  few  walk  a  month  or 
two  earlier.  All  children  at  a  certain 
given  time  do  not  start  in  and  walk;  they 


TEACHING  BABY  TO  WALK        137 

come  to  it  gradually,  first  by  pulling  them- 
selves up  to  a  half-way  standing  position 
and  resting  on  their  knees.  Soon  they 
become  a  little  bolder  and  manage  to  get 
on  their  feet;  later,  with  some  assistance, 
such  as  a  chair  or  other  piece  of  furniture, 
they  will  take  one  step,  then  another,  or, 
with  a  little  help,  take  two  or  three  steps. 
This  is  a  child's  natural  way  of  learning 
to  walk,  but  he  will  not  attempt  to  do 
this  unless  he  feels  instinctively  that  his 
legs  are  strong  enough  to  bear  him;  it 
is  just  as  natural  for  a  child  to  do  this  as 
it  is  for  the  teeth  when  they  are  perfected 
and  strong,  not  before,  to  force  their  way 
up  through  the  gum. 

It  is  always  best  to  let  the  child  take  the 
initiative  rather  than  to  urge  him,  as  at 
an  early  age  he  is  keenly  alert  to  his  own 
capabilities;  if  his  bones  are  soft  and 
sensitive  to  pressure,  intuitively  he  will 
not  court  unpleasant  sensations  by  forc- 
ing them  to  bear  his  weight;  even  a  baby 
will  not  try  to  sit  up  until  he  feels  that  the 
muscular  tissues  are  firm  enough  to  sup- 
port the  little  spine. 

Unless  the  child  shows  some  inclination 


138  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

to  stand  on  his  feet  by  pulling  himself  up 
on  your  lap  or  by  some  piece  of  furniture 
it  is  not  wise  to  urge  him;  but  if  he  takes 
the  initiative,  then  a  moderate  amount  of 
assistance  can  be  given,  such  as  by  placing 
the  hands  around  the  child's  chest  to  assist 
in  steadying  him,  or  by  lifting  him  so  that 
the  feet  touch  a  table,  chair,  or  any  flat 
surface.  Then  allow  him  to  give  light 
springs  or  jumps  from  the  resisting  body, 
supporting  him  so  that  only  about  one-half 
his  weight  rests  on  his  feet.  This  is  good 
exercise,  and  enables  the  child  to  gain  con- 
fidence without  forcing  him  in  any  way.  A 
little  later,  when  he  has  learned  to  stand 
firmly  on  his  feet  and  shows  a  desire  to 
take  steps  by  stretching  his  hands  toward 
you,  take  them  in  yours  and  let  him  take 
two  or  three  steps,  no  more. 

If  by  the  fifteenth  or  sixteenth  month 
there  is  no  attempt  on  the  part  of  the 
child  either  to  stand  on  his  feet  or  to  walk, 
it  is  a  sign  that  the  bones  are  softer  than 
they  ordinarily  should  be  at  that  age.  A 
special  diet  should  be- selected  with  a  view 
to  supply,  as  far  as  possible,  the  lacking 
material  which  should  make  them  firmer 


TEACHING  BABY  TO  WALK        139 

and  stronger.  It  frequently  happens, 
when  the  walking  period  has  been  delayed 
this  late,  that  a  child  has  lost  some  of  the 
ambition  which  a  normally  healthy  child 
at  a  much  earlier  age  usually  displays. 
Such  children  need  some  help  and  encour- 
agement to  induce  them  to  walk. 

Children  who  do  not  walk  until  late  are 
either  rachitic  or  have  had  some  illness 
which  has  left  them  too  weak  to  make 
the  attempt.  The  latter,  as  soon  as  they 
feel  strength  coming  back,  become  ambi- 
tious, and  will  usually  make  up  for  the  time 
they  have  lost.  This  is  not  so,  however, 
with  the  rachitic  child,  who,  especially  if 
it  has  had  a  starchy  diet,  is  apt  to  grow 
fat,  heavy,  and  eventually  lazy.  To  en- 
courage these  children  in  walking  I  would 
advise  a  "baby- walker,"  which  is  a  circu- 
lar affair  with  a  seat  suspended  in  the 
middle.  It  is  excellent  to  help  children 
to  walk;  the  seat  can  be  made  higher  or 
lower  according  to  the  length  of  the  child's 
legs.  It  should  be  suspended  at  a  height 
that  will  allow  the  ball  of  the  child's  foot 
to  rest  comfortably  on  the  floor.  On  the 
upper  circle  of  the  frame  the  child  can 


140  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

rest  his  hands,  and,  with  his  feet  just  touch- 
ing the  floor,  propel  himself  about  the 
room.  As  he  is  in  a  sitting  position,  most 
of  his  weight  falls  upon  the  pelvis  and 
thighs,  very  little  on  the  legs  from  knee 
to  ankle-joint,  which  is  the  part  most 
likely  to  suffer. 

In  a  few  days,  or  after  the  child  has 
learned  to  move  about  in  this  way,  lower 
the  seat  a  trifle  more  so  that  the  foot  rests 
still  more  firmly  on  the  floor,  and  so,  as 
the  child  becomes  stronger  and  has  more 
confidence,  little  by  little  lower  the  seat 
until  he  stands  squarely  on  his  feet,  and 
by  holding  on  to  the  sides  of  the  walker 
he  can,  by  its  aid,  walk  all  over  the  room. 
Although  baby-walkers  are  excellent  helps 
for  backward  children,  they  should  not  be 
used  as  chairs,  and  a  child  should  not  be 
left  sitting  in  one  for  more  than  fifteen  or 
twenty  minutes  at  a  time,  as  a  child  partly 
suspended  in  one  of  these  for  any  length 
of  time  would  find  it  very  uncomfortable. 
He  would  also  be  apt  to  lean  forward  and 
rest  his  head  on  the  framework  before 
him,  which  position  is  bad  for  the  spine. 
A  curved  spine  is  not  any  more  desirable 


TEACHING  BABY  TO  WALK         141 

than  bowed  legs.  The  child  may  be  placed 
in  the  walker  several  times  a  day  for  the 
time  mentioned  without  harm. 

There  is  still  another  class  of  children 
that  do  not  walk  as  early  as  they  should; 
cases  that  are  not  due  to  lack  of  bone  de- 
velopment or  to  sickness,  but  to  over- 
cautious mothers  and  nurses  who,  fear- 
ing draughts  and  consequent  colds,  will 
restrain  perfectly  healthy  and  normal 
youngsters  from  touching  the  floor.  Even 
the  privilege  of  creeping  and  rolling  around 
the  bed  is  denied  them  for  fear,  in  their 
abandon,  they  might  indulge  in  a  tumble 
to  the  floor;  consequently  these  healthy 
and  would-be  active  children,  at  the  time 
when  they  should  be  running  about,  are 
instead  hugged  in  the  nurse's  arms  or  se- 
curely tied  in  chairs  high  enough  to  escape 
the  dreaded  draughts.  In  the  morning 
and  after  the  noonday  nap  these  poor 
little  held-backs  do  try  to  help  themselves 
a  little  by  pulling  themselves  up  by  the 
sides  of  the  crib  and  trying  to  walk  around 
its  narrow  confines ;  but  with  little  success, 
for  the  long  nightdress,  rumpled  bedding, 
and  spring-mattress  make  these  attempts 


142  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

almost  futile.  I  have  known  several  chil- 
dren who  have  thus  been  held  back,  and 
in  no  instance  has  the  child  profited  by 
the  treatment;  in  fact,  the  enforced  in- 
activity has  been  anything  but  beneficial. 
Neither  has  it  been  effectual  in  preventing 
colds,  and  before  the  cold  weather  was 
over  these  children  were  usually  limp, 
spiritless,  and  delicate.  This  kind  of  treat- 
ment, depriving  the  child  of  the  use  of  his 
legs,  seems  almost  worse  than  urging  him 
to  use  them  too  soon.  It  is  harder,  too, 
now  for  a  child  to  learn  to  walk,  for  we  all 
know  that  concussion  is  greater  when  a 
heavy  body  falls  than  when  a  lighter  one 
does. 

The  child  at  one  year  experiences  little 
difficulty  in  learning  to  walk  or  to  balance 
himself ;  he  has  no  fear  of  hurting  himself, 
for  if  he  topples  over  he  is  so  small  and 
light  that  the  concussion  is  very  slight,  and 
apparently  makes  no  impression.  He  im- 
mediately picks  himself  up  and  resumes  his 
endeavors  to  balance  himself,  and  with 
each  effort  gains  more  confidence.  It  is 
quite  different  with  a  child  who  has  been 
withheld  from  the  privilege  of  walking 


TEACHING  BABY  TO  WALK         143 

until  he  is  a  year  and  a  half  or  two  years 
old.  The  chances  then  are  that  he  is  not 
so  strong  as  the  younger  child,  that  he  has 
grown  heavy  from  lack  of  exercise,  and  at 
last,  when  allowed  the  use  of  his  feet,  is 
not  sure  of  himself  and  fears  a  fall;  or, 
from  constant  holding  and  fondling,  the 
child  may  have  become  delicate.  Lack 
of  strength  alone  stands  in  the  way  of  this 
child's  walking. 

Draughts  which  creep  in  under  doors  and 
window-casings  are,  no  doubt,  dangerous, 
and  are  without  doubt  a  menace  to  the 
health  of  little  children  who  are  not  pro- 
tected from  them.  It  is  also  true  that  the 
air  at  the  floor  is  colder  than  it  is  higher 
up  in  the  room;  still,  with  ordinary  pre- 
cautions a  child  may  play  about  the 
nursery  floor  most  days  during  the  winter 
without  danger  of  catching  cold  from 
draughts.  A  thermometer  should  be  hung 
a  foot  or  two  from  the  floor,  and  the  tem- 
perature at  that  height  should  be  kept  as 
uniform  as  possible  at  about  sixty  to  sixty- 
eight  degrees  Fahrenheit.  If  there  are 
draughts  coming  in  from  under  the  door 
or  window,  newspapers  placed  at  the 


144  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

cracks  will  obviate  that  difficulty ;  a  warm 
rug  or  comfortable  thrown  on  the  floor 
will  protect  the  child  from  the  cold.  If 
the  mother  is  still  skeptical  she  may  in- 
dulge in  a  nursery  pen,  and  place  it  as  far 
from  the  door  and  window  as  possible; 
the  soft,  comforting  rug  can  then  be  placed 
in  the  center  of  it;  the  sides,  if  necessary, 
can  be  padded  to  further  exclude  any  pos- 
sible draughts;  within  this  inclosure  the 
baby  can,  with  safety,  sit  and  play  with 
his  toys;  or,  by  holding  on  to  the  sides  of 
the  pen  he  will  pull  himself  up  to  his  feet 
and,  thus  supported,  learn  to  walk  entirely 
around  the  little  inclosure.  This  little 
pen  also  keeps  him  from  creeping  into 
places  where  he  ought  not  to  go  when 
mother's  back  is  turned  for  a  moment, 
and  if  he  takes  a  tumble  his  head  will  not 
come  in  contact  with  the  furniture. 

In  connection  with  children  learning  to 
walk  it  might  be  well  to  say  a  word  in  re- 
gard to  their  shoes  and  stockings,  and  I 
would  here  urge  the  mother  not  to  allow 
style  or  sentiment  to  influence  her  in  the 
selection  of  either.  Health  and  comfort 
for  the  feet  should  be  the  first  considera- 


TEACHING  BABY  TO  WALK         145 

tion,  for  there  are  probably  no  other  mem- 
bers of  the  body  which,  if  not  properly 
cared  for,  can  be  the  seat  of  such  discom- 
fort, to  say  nothing  of  real  anguish  at 
times.  The  care  should  commence  long 
before  the  child  learns  to  stand  upon  them, 
for  at  an  early  age  a  very  slight  pressure 
such  as  a  tight  stocking  might  give  is  ca- 
pable of  causing  deformities  which,  while 
almost  too  slight  to  be  noticed  at  the  time, 
often  prove  most  painful  -later  in  life. 
Stockings  may  be  of  merino,  silk,  or  cotton ; 
it  matters  little  which  as  long  as  the  feet 
are  kept  warm.  They  should  be  neither 
too  large  nor  too  small,  but  just  a  com- 
fortable fit.  I  would  advise  having  only 
a  few  pairs  of  stockings  on  hand  at  a  time, 
as  babies'  feet  grow  rapidly,  and  in  a  very 
short  time  the  shoes  and  stockings  are 
outgrown;  tight  stockings  are  capable  of 
doing  as  much  real  harm  to  the  foot  as 
tight  shoes,  and  stockings  that  were  pro- 
vided for  the  child  at  six  months,  just  be- 
cause they  are  still  whole  and  good,  should 
not  be  made  to  do  duty  for  the  child  at 
eight  months.  The  child's  foot  has  grown 
very  materially,  and  more  than  likely  the 


i46  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

stockings,  too,  from  constant  washings, 
have  become  more  or  less  shrunken;  and 
still,  without  any  thought  of  the  discom- 
fort they  might  cause  the  child,  the  little 
feet  and  legs  are  too  often  stuffed  into  out- 
grown stockings.  Aside  from  their  being 
uncomfortable  to  the  child,  stockings  too 
snug  in  fit  will  in  time  cause  the  toes  to 
round  out,  and  later  in  life  we  find  the 
middle  toe  of  the  foot  curving  upward; 
as  the  toes  grow  larger  it  is  forced  against 
the  top  of  the  shoe,  and  the  constant  fric- 
tion causes  painful  corns.  If  the  middle 
toe  is  not  forced  upward  we  are  apt  to  find 
the  little  toe  crowded  either  under  or  over 
the  one  next  to  it.  This  frequently  causes 
soft  corns  between  the  toes.  In  order  to 
avoid  these  difficulties  stockings  from  the 
very  first  pair  on  should  fit  the  foot  smooth- 
ly and  easily  without  wrinkles  and  without 
pinching  the  foot. 

It  cannot  be  denied  that  shapely,  chub- 
by legs  look  most  cunning  and  inviting  in 
their  pink  bareness  when  only  half-stock- 
ings, or  socks,  are  worn,  and  it  is  usually  the 
mother  who  will  not  allow  her  baby  to 
touch  the  floor  for  fear  it  will  take  cold 


TEACHING  BABY  TO  WALK        147 

who  is  utterly  oblivious  of  a  possibility  of 
harm  happening  from  exposing  those  little 
uncovered  legs  on  cold  spring  and  autumn 
days.  There  is  always  danger  and  menace 
to  a  child's  health  in  not  properly  protect- 
ing the  legs  and  feet.  It  is  the  cause  of 
many  colds  and  sore  throats.  Cold  ex- 
tremities also  seriously  interfere  with  good 
digestion  and  sow  seeds  of  rheumatism. 
In  warm  weather  the  probability  is  that 
no  harm  will  result  from  the  wearing  of 
socks,  but  think  of  the  annoyance  to  the 
child  in  consequence  of  this  pretty  fashion. 
Those  pretty  legs  make  a  dainty  feast  for 
mosquitoes  and  other  insects.  Do  you 
think  the  child  enjoys  this?  True,  a  mos- 
quito can  bite  through  stockings,  but  I  do 
not  think  he  would  bite  nearly  so  often 
were  he  not  tempted  by  the  sight  of  the 
bare  and  tender  flesh.  Then  there  are 
scratches  and  bruises  from  bushes,  briers, 
etc.;  these  would  be  far  less  if  the  legs 
were  properly  protected  by  stockings. 

The  shoes  of  a  very  young  child  should  be 
knitted,  or  made  of  cotton  or  woolen  cloth 
or  soft  kid,  and,  like  the  stockings,  should 
be  a  perfectly  easy  fit;  no  matter  how 


i48  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

light  and  flexible  the  material  is,  the  toes 
should  not  be  the  slightest  bit  pointed,  for 
if  so  the  toes  cannot  help  being  crowded 
together.  Have  the  toe  of  the  shoe  broad 
enough  so  that  each  toe  can  move  sepa- 
rately. As  soon  as  the  child  stands  on  the 
floor  and  attempts  to  walk,  he  should  be 
provided  with  shoes  that  have  a  somewhat 
firmer  sole,  but  still  quite  soft  and  flexible ; 
as  he  uses  his  feet  more  the  soles  can  be 
a  trifle  stouter.  Always  select  children's 
shoes  with  care,  see  that  they  are  a  good 
fit,  so  long  that  they  do  not  crowd  the  toes 
under,  broad  enough  not  to  cramp  the 
foot,  but  not  so  large  that  the  foot  slides 
about  in  them.  Watch  the  feet  carefully; 
do  not  allow  a  child  to  wear  a  shoe  a  mo- 
ment after  it  is  outgrown,  for  a  shoe  a 
very  slight  fraction  of  an  inch  too  short 
will  cause  the  joints  of  the  foot  to  become 
diseased,  and  the  child,  in  order  to  avoid 
the  discomfort  of  the  toes  pressing  against 
the  end  of  a  shoe  that  is  a  little  short,  will 
form  the  habit  of  walking  on  the  side  of 
his  foot;  this  causes  a  weakness  of  the 
ankle. 

Heels  are  not  desirable  on  the  shoes  of 


TEACHING  BABY  TO  WALK        149 

little  children,  but  by  the  time  the  child 
is  two  or  three  years  old  the  heel  end  of  the 
shoe  should  be  slightly  elevated,  otherwise 
there  is  danger  of  flat  foot.  The  sandal, 
now  so  popular  for  children's  wear,  allows 
a  free  action  of  the  toes,  but  its  flat  sole 
does  not  support  the  instep,  and  it  is  the 
cause  in  many  instances  of  the  arch  of  the 
instep  breaking  down.  High  heels  should 
never  be  worn,  but  when  the  child  gradu- 
ates from  the  spring-heeled  shoe  one  with 
a  broad,  low  heel  should  take  its  place. 
Children  who  have  weak  ankles  are  much 
benefited  by  wearing  shoes  with  reinforced 
or  stiff  ankles.  There  are,  also,  shoes  made 
to  correct  the  deformity  of  bow  legs,  but 
these  must  be  worn  at  an  early  age  in 
order  to  prove  effectual. 


XII 

PHYSICAL    TRAINING    FOR     CITY    CHILDREN 

PHYSICAL  training  is  more  or  less 
1  necessary  for  all  children,  but  for  the 
city-bred  child  it  is  most  essential.  Per- 
fect health  cannot  be  associated  with  a 
body  whose  organs  and  the  muscular  tis- 
sue encompassing  them  are  physically 
weak;  neither  can  one  expect  to  find 
health  of  mind  and  intellect  where  there  is 
not  health  of  body.  As  the  population  in 
our  large  cities  becomes  larger  and  more 
congested  there  comes  an  urgent  need  for 
the  children  to  have  a  certain  amount  of 
systematic  daily  exercise.  This  is  especial- 
ly true  of  the  children  of  the  better  classes, 
who  while  in  the  house  seldom  have  the 
run  of  more  than  one  room  which  serves 
as  nursery.  If  the  home  is  a  private  dwell- 


PHYSICAL  TRAINING  151 

ing  this  room  may  be  a  fair-sized  one,  but 
if  an  apartment,  it  is  usually  very  small 
and  often  poorly  ventilated. 

One  mother  remarked:  "I  keep  baby  in 
the  open  air  all  day  in  pleasant  weather, 
so  the  night  really  matters  little";  but  of 
the  many  unpleasant  days  no  mention  was 
made.  This  mother  was  what  may  be  called 
a  model  mother.  At  least  she  certainly 
tried  to  be  one.  Her  baby  was  dressed 
most  daintily  and  simply,  the  undergar- 
ments were  made  of  the  most  approved 
hygienic  shape  and  material;  soap  and 
other  toilet  accessories  were  of  the  finest 
and  purest;  in  fact,  everything  pertaining 
to  the  child,  including  the  model  nurse- 
maid, was  quite  up  to  date.  The  baby's 
ruddy  little  cheeks  spoke  for  the  hours 
spent  in  the  park;  but  with  what  would 
seem  almost  perfect  surroundings  and  care 
there  was  evidently  something  lacking. 
One  cold  after  another  seemed  to  pursue 
this  little  six-months-old  baby.  These 
colds  were  not  especially  severe,  but  the 
persistency  of  the  trouble  and  the  child's 
seeming  physical  inability  to  ward  them  off 

necessitated  the  occasional  attention  of  a 
11 


152  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

physician  and  kept  the  mother  in  a  con- 
stant state  of  anxiety  as  to  the  cause  of 
the  attacks.  The  mother  also  became 
over-careful  about  wrapping  baby  up  when 
he  went  out,  and  kept  him  pretty  well 
covered  in  the  house.  Also  she  deferred 
putting  him  in  short  clothes. 

Aside  from  these  colds  the  baby  seemed 
fairly  well,  although  it  was  noticed  that 
his  flesh  seemed  rather  soft,  with  no  re- 
sistance, also  that  he  was  easily  chilled  in 
the  bath.  Frequently  it  would  be  twenty 
minutes  or  more  before  finger  and  toe  nails, 
which  had  assumed  a  bluish  hue,  resumed 
their  natural  pink  color.  With  good  hered- 
ity, good  surroundings,  and  good  care,  it 
was  rather  difficult  to  determine  where  the 
fault  lay  and  why  this  trouble  should  per- 
sist, so  it  was  decided  to  carefully  study 
each  day's  routine  and  try  to  find,  if  possi- 
ble, the  defect  and  the  cause  of  the  trouble. 
The  result  was  as  follows:  The  milk  for 
the  food  was  selected  from  a  dairy  noted 
for  the  purity  of  its  products;  it  was  care- 
fully prepared  and  administered  at  the 
proper  time;  and  the  bottles  were  kept 
absolutely  clean.  The  fact  of  the  child's 


PHYSICAL  TRAINING  153 

never  having  had  any  gastric  or  intestinal 
disturbance  spoke  for  itself.  The  bath 
was  given  at  about  8  A.M.  in  a  well-heated 
nursery,  after  which  the  bottle  was  given 
and  the  baby  took  a  nap  lasting  from  one- 
half  hour  to  an  hour. 

As  soon  as  he  awoke,  hat  and  coat,  which 
had  previously  been  thoroughly  warmed, 
were  donned  and  he  was  taken  out  for  the 
daily  airing.  The  coat,  which  was  heavy 
and  long,  was  closely  wrapped  about  him 
and  the  ends  were  turned  up  and  pinned 
over  the  feet ;  the  child  was  then  placed  in 
the  perambulator,  on  his  back,  and  from 
the  neck  down  he  was  snugly  tucked  in; 
certainly  he  looked  comfortable  and  con- 
tented even  if  he  wasn't  allowed  to  move 
hand  or  foot.  At  noon  the  child  was  taken 
into  the  house  to  be  fed  and  have  his  nap. 
The  nap  was  taken  in  the  nursery  with 
windows  wide  open,  the  outdoor  wraps 
not  being  removed.  After  the  nap  he  was 
taken  out  again  for  three  or  four  hours 
more,  according  to  the  brightness  of  the 
day.  During  the  hours  spent  in  the  house 
between  rising  and  going  to  bed  the  child 
was  either  in  the  nurse's  arms,  lying  placid- 


154  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

ly  on  her  lap,  or  on  the  bed,  with  an  afghan 
over  him. 

Carefully  considering  the  case,  it  was  de- 
cided that  the  conditions  surrounding  the 
child  seemed  perfect,  with  one  exception, 
and  that  was  an  almost  total  lack  of  physi- 
cal exercise,  for  about  the  only  time  in  the 
twenty-four  hours  the  baby  had  any  free 
use  of  arms  and  legs  was  during  the  morn- 
ing bath  and  the  short  time  consumed  in 
dressing  and  undressing  him.  Of  his  wak- 
ing hours  a  good  half  or  more  were  spent 
flat  on  his  back,  bound  down  like  an  Egyp- 
tian mummy  under  his  heavy  coverings. 
He  was  totally  unable  to  move  hand,  foot, 
or  any  part  of  his  little  body.  During  the 
remainder  of  the  time,  whether  held  or 
lying  down,  long  petticoats  and  dress  ham- 
pered any  movement  attempted.  It  was 
very  evident  that  this  baby  did  not  get 
even  that  slight  amount  of  physical  exer- 
cise needed  to  keep  even  as  small  a  body 
as  his  in  fit  condition,  so  a  series  of  so- 
called  exercises  or  gymnastics  was  insti- 
tuted as  an  experiment.  The  result  was 
a  marked  success. 

Although   it  was   midwinter,   the   first 


PHYSICAL  TRAINING  155 

movement  toward  giving  the  baby  free  ac- 
tion of  limb  and  muscle  was  to  substitute 
short  clothes  for  long  ones,  in  order  that 
while  the  child  was  in  the  house  he  could 
move  and  kick  his  legs  quite  freely.  When 
out  in  his  baby-carriage,  instead  of  being 
tightly  tucked  under  a  heavy  wool  robe,  he 
was  loosely  wrapped  in  a  small  eider-down 
comfortable  which  had  the  advantage  of  be- 
ing quite  as  warm  as,  if  not  more  so  than, 
the  wool  robe;  and,  being  light  and  loose, 
the  child  could  move  his  legs  freely.  Be- 
sides this,  late  every  afternoon,  just  before 
the  evening  meal,  with  all  clothes  except 
undergarments  removed,  the  baby  was 
placed  on  his  back  on  a  low  table  with  a 
soft  pad  under  him,  and  the  nurse  put  the 
child  through  a  short  series  of  exercises. 

First,  grasping  one  leg  by  the  ankle,  with 
slight  tension  she  slowly  raised  it  until  the 
upright  position  was  reached,  or,  in  other 
words,  until  the  leg  was  at  right  angles 
with  the  body.  This  was  done  two  or 
three  times,  then  the  other  leg  was  put 
through  the  same  course;  then  both  legs 
together.  The  arms  were  then  placed  in 
position  alongside  the  body  and,  like  the 


i56  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

legs,  first  one,  then  the  other,  then  both 
were  gently  and  slowly  raised  above  the 
head  and  each  movement  gone  through 
two  or  three  times.  The  hands  were  then 
brought  up  to  the  shoulders  and  the  arms 
spread  out  from  the  shoulder  the  same 
number  of  times;  after  this  ten  minutes 
of  gentle  massage  was  given  to  the  entire 
body,  especially  to  the  legs  and  back,  a 
little  melted  cocoa-butter  being  used  as  a 
lubricant.  While  always  a  fair  sleeper, 
the  baby  now  began  to  sleep  as  never  be- 
fore; his  sluggish  circulation  by  means  of 
these  exercises  was  whipped  up  into  a 
normal  activity,  and  there  was  no  more 
blueness  of  finger  and  toe  nails;  and  as 
for  the  chronic  colds,  they  were  forgotten 
as  a  thing  of  the  past. 

It  does  seem  ridiculous  to  assume  that 
physical  exercises  are  at  all  necessary  for 
infants  of  tender  age,  but  I  can  assure  you 
that  cases  such  as  the  one  just  described 
are  altogether  too  common  among  babies 
in  the  city.  Children  with  exceedingly 
nervous  temperament  or  those  suffering 
from  malnutrition  must  be  made  to  start 
very  gradually  with  these  or  any  other 


PHYSICAL  TRAINING  157 

form  of  exercises.  At  first  it  is  best  to 
commence  with  massage  only,  and  prefer- 
ably just  before  putting  the  child  to  bed 
for  the  night ;  after  a  week  or  two  of  mas- 
sage gradually  work  in  one  movement  each 
of  legs  and  arms,  gradually  increasing  the 
number  of  movements  as  the  child  grows 
stronger.  With  a  healthy  child  it  is  well 
to  commence  the  regular  physical  exercises 
with  not  more  than  two  or  three  move- 
ments of  each  exercise;  in  a  week  or  ten 
days  add  one  more  movement.  Keep  up 
this  method,  slowly  increasing  until  each 
exercise  is  gone  through  with  six  or  eight 
times. 

Older  children  of  a  year  or  more  fare 
little  better  than  the  infant  in  the  way  of 
daily  exercise.  During  the  months  when 
they  are  confined  to  the  city,  no  matter 
how  much  the  child  is  kept  out  in  the  open 
air,  the  conditions  are  such  as  to  preclude 
much  physical  exertion.  Take,  for  in- 
stance, the  little  creature  strapped  in  his 
go-cart  the  better  part  of  the  day.  He 
goes  out  after  breakfast,  comes  in  for  din- 
ner and  a  short  nap,  then  out  again  until 
sundown,  then  back  for  supper  and  bed. 


158  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

The  only  exercise  he  can  possibly  get  at 
best  in  the  twenty-four  hours  is  a  series 
of  romps  up  and  down  the  nursery  or  up 
and  down  the  floor  the  nursery  is  on.  He 
is  taken  up  and  down  the  stairs  in  the 
nurse's  arms  or  in  an  elevator,  and  while 
on  the  street  he  is  strapped  in  carriage  or 
go-cart.  Possibly  he  may  leave  the  cart 
for  a  few  moments  to  slowly  drag  along, 
held  fast  by  the  nurse's  hand,  or,  if  in  the 
park,  he  may  be  allowed  to  stretch  his 
little  legs  for  a  while  by  walking  around 
the  bench  on  which  the  nurse  is  sitting,  to 
rest  her  weary  limbs  (for  it  may  be  said  in 
behalf  of  the  nurse  that  her  legs  and  arms 
often  get  more  than  their  share  of  exer- 
cise in  the  tedious  task  of  pushing  the 
heavy  perambulator  for  hours  over  the 
hard  city  pavements,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  monotony  of  the  occupation). 

To  return  to  the  child,  no  such  happy 
or  unhappy  lot  is  his;  he  must  not  be  al- 
lowed to  stir  from  a  selected  spot  or  come 
in  contact  with  other  children,  for  fear  of 
contracting  some  dreaded  contagious  dis- 
ease. This  is  really  quite  proper,  too,  for 
the  promiscuous  mingling  of  children  and 


PHYSICAL  TRAINING  159 

nurses  in  the  streets  and  parks  is  exceed- 
ingly dangerous  and  often  the  cause  of 
spreading  contagion.  Children  do  survive 
the  discipline  and  curtailing  of  outdoor 
exercise  of  a  city  winter,  but  is  it  not  well 
to  give  them  every  advantage  during  this 
season  ?  While  nothing  will  quite  take  the 
place  of  the  open-air  exercise  which  these 
little  ones  obtain  from  their  summers  in  the 
country,  still  this  can  be  greatly  augmented 
by  systematic  physical  culture  during  the 
winter. 

The  simple  exercises  described  for  the 
baby  are  sufficient  for  a  child  up  to  the 
second  or  third  year ;  probably  part  of  this 
time  the  mother  or  nurse  will  have  to 
assist  the  child,  as  he  will  hardly  be  old 
enough  to  go  through  with  them  alone. 
In  addition  to  the  exercises  already  de- 
scribed, have  the  child  lie  on  his  stomach 
and  raise  his  feet  and  legs  as  far  back  tow- 
ard the  head  as  they  will  go;  the  object  is 
to  raise  the  leg  from  the  knee  to  the  thigh 
a  little,  if  possible.  Do  not  force  the  child 
in  this  movement;  let  him  go  as  far  as  he 
will  without  urging,  and  no  farther.  Also 
let  him  raise  his  head  backward  as  far  as 


160  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

he  will.  These  movements  are  particu- 
larly good  for  developing  and  strengthen- 
ing the  muscles  of  the  chest  and  abdomen. 
While  the  child  is  in  this  position  mother 
or  nurse  can  be  stroking  the  spine;  to  do 
this  properly  use  the  entire  palm  surface 
of  the  hand.  Commence  at  the  neck,  and 
with  a  firm  but  gentle  stroke  bring  the 
hand  slowly  down  the  spine  to  the  extreme 
end;  repeat  this  several  times.  Usually 
a  child — or  adult,  also,  for  that  matter- 
will  stand  this  stroking  for  any  length  of 
time,  as  it  is  particularly  restful  and  sooth- 
ing. A  little  sweet-oil  may  be  used  for 
lubricating  the  hand,  or,  better  still,  a  solu- 
tion of  one  teaspoonful  of  alcohol  to  two 
of  water. 

When  children  reach  the  runabout  age, 
and  after  they  have  left  the  city  for  the 
summer,  it  is  not  necessary  to  give  these 
exercises,  for  the  seashore,  with  its  salt- 
baths  and  sandy  beaches  to  dig  in,  or  the 
run  of  broad  fields  and  lawns,  practically 
settles  the  question  of  physical  exercise 
for  the  child  for  the  time  being. 

It  is  not  a  good  plan  to  allow  a  child  to 
sleep  with  its  hands  and  arms  tucked  under 


PHYSICAL  TRAINING  161 

the  bedclothes;  they  should  be  outside 
the  covering  and  unconfined,  as  this  al- 
lows the  child  to  breathe  freely  and 
naturally,  thus  causing  the  lungs  to  ex- 
pand. If  the  mother  fears  a  cold  a  long- 
sleeved  bed-sacque  may  be  worn  over  the 
nightdress,  and  the  sleeves  can  be  made 
long  enough  to  come  down  over  the  hands 
and  be  drawn  in  at  the  hem  with  a  tape 
if  the  mother  deems  it  necessary. 

As  soon  as  an  infant  is  able  to  sit  up 
without  assistance  a  correct  position  should 
always  be  maintained.  If  the  child  be 
bolstered  up  in  crib  or  chair  when  tired 
he  will  slip  down  and  rest  on  the  end  of 
his  spine,  or  sometimes  he  will  bend  over 
and  rest  on  the  pillow  or  bed  in  front  of 
him.  Either  of  these  positions  is  bad, 
causing  a  weakening  and  rounding-out  of 
the  spine,  and  as  soon  as  noticed  the  posi- 
tion should  be  changed  to  a  reclining  one 
or  the  child  should  be  held  in  the  lap, 
the  hands  supporting  the  back.  To  sit 
correctly  the  child  should  rest  on  the  pelvic 
bones  and  thighs.  A  child  should  not  be 
allowed  to  sit  with  the  feet  crossed  in 
front  of  him,  as  this  will  later  cause  the 


162  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

child  to  walk  with  toes  turned  out  at  an 
extreme  angle,  and  encourages  an  ugly 
gait. 

Massage  should  be  kept  up  until  the 
child  is  able  to  walk.  About  the  third 
year  or  earlier,  if  the  child  has  learned  to 
stand  firmly  on  his  feet  and  walk  alone 
without  tottering  or  swaying,  the  Swedish 
foot-movement  exercises  should  be  com- 
menced. These  are  exceedingly  simple 
and  easy  for  a  little  child  to  learn,  and 
as  soon  as  they  are  well  under  way  and  he 
is  thoroughly  accustomed  to  them,  teach 
the  child  to  raise  himself  on  his  toes,  and 
let  himself  down  again.  After  a  while  he 
may  take  three  or  four  steps  forward  on 
the  toes  until  he  can  cross  the  room  in 
this  position.  These  exercises  are  unsur- 
passed in  developing  the  muscles  of  the 
legs;  they  also  teach  the  child  at  an  early 
age  poise.  He  assumes  an  easy  and  grace- 
ful carriage  in  walking,  quite  different 
from  the  fat-legged  child  shuffling  and 
stumbling  along  at  the  nurse's  side,  rarely 
lifting  his  foot  from  the  pavement.  Chil- 
dren who  have  had  the  advantage  of  early 
physical  training  do  not  pick  their  way 


PHYSICAL  TRAINING  163 

around  a  puddle  to  avoid  wet  feet,  but 
with  a  light  spring  skip  over  the  impeding 
obstacle,  then  turn  back  to  see  if  it  can 
be  cleared  in  a  standing  jump. 

As  early  as  possible  the  child  should  be 
taught  deep  breathing.  He  should  stand 
in  an  upright  position  and  take  from  six 
to  a  dozen  good  deep  breaths  two  or  three 
times  a  day.  If  the  child  is  inclined  to 
stammer  have  him  hold  the  breath  for 
three  or  four  seconds,  which  will  help  to 
overcome  this  habit.  The  mouth  should 
be  closed  during  this  breathing  exercise, 
which  necessitates  keeping  the  nostrils  free 
from  obstructing  mucus.  If  more  atten- 
tion were  paid  to  keeping  the  nose  clean 
there  would  be  less  mouth-breathing  among 
children,  which  causes  most  of  the  nose, 
throat,  and  ear  troubles  so  prevalent 
among  them.  There  are  a  number  of 
small  books  on  physical  culture  which 
would  greatly  assist  the  mother  in  selecting 
a  variety  of  exercises  for  the  daily  routine. 
For  children  over  five  years  of  age  the 
gymnasium  once  or  twice  each  week  is 
very  beneficial.  In  cities  most  schools 
for  physical  culture  have  a  children's  class, 


164  YOUNG  MOTHER'S  HANDBOOK 

which  is  usually  in  charge  of  a  young 
woman.  Gymnastics,  however,  should  not 
be  carried  to  the  extent  of  trying  to  ac- 
complish difficult  feats  or  stunts.  Over- 
training is  apt  to  result  unpleasantly,  but 
every  movement  of  arms,  legs,  or  body 
which  helps  to  develop  strength  and  grace 
or  beauty  of  outline  and  figure  should 
be  cultivated.  Dancing  -  schools,  by  the 
way,  if  sensibly  conducted,  are  an  ex- 
cellent means  toward  developing  these 
graces. 

When  children  are  old  enough  to  attend 
school  I  would  advise  the  selection  of  one 
where  good,  sensible  calisthenics,  not  show 
ones,  are  a  part  of  the  daily  regime;  also 
where  attention  is  paid  to  the  child's  pos- 
ture while  sitting  at  desk  or  standing 
during  recitations.  Many  children  acquire 
spinal  curvatures  and  unequal  develop- 
ment of  hips  by  not  having  careless  habits 
in  the  school-room  corrected.  Remember, 
too,  that  at  this  age  the  daily  bath  is  still 
an  important  factor  in  the  physical  well- 
being  of  the  child,  for  as  the  child  grows 
older  and  attends  school  there  is  a  growing 
laxness  in  this  respect,  and  a  hasty  com- 


PHYSICAL  TRAINING  165 

promise  in  the  shape  of  a  sponge  takes  the 
place  of  the  full  bath.  Don't  neglect  the 
bath;  it  pays.  At  an  early  age  stimulate 
in  children  a  normal  pride  for  physical 
perfection  and  cleanliness. 


THE    END 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 


OCT  29  19)5 

R  &   1916 
APR  11  1916 

21  MY'63FC 


30m-6,'14 


285755 


UNIVERSITY  QV  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


